


Fix Us

by Shiny_Totodiiles



Series: FE 3H Dragon AU [2]
Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Ashen Wolves DLC Spoilers, Cannibalism, F/F, Gore, I swear, M/M, Nightwings are basically komodo dragons, Other Ships Not Mentioned in Tags, Other characters mentioned - Freeform, Spoilers for Black Eagles Route, Spoilers for Church Route, and Dimitri is a lazy fuck so he just eats the bodies he doesnt toss out, and acid, and they're all dragons, anyways gay dragons, anyways if you want content sometimes you have to write it yourself ya yeet, dances around: more gay dragons yeehaw, enjoy, hi welcome to my Wings of Fire AU where its bacially Golden Deer and Blue Lions merged, it gets a bit angsty, no beta we die like men, oh also depictions of dragon violence, spoilers for Golden Deer route, spoilers for blue lions route
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-04
Updated: 2020-04-20
Packaged: 2020-11-23 08:11:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 14
Words: 47,100
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20888915
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shiny_Totodiiles/pseuds/Shiny_Totodiiles
Summary: Claude didn't expect this, didn't expect to fall in love, didn't believe himself when he would blush, or stutter, or anything. Now things have gone horribly wrong, and he doesn't know how he's going to fix it all.A joint BL and GD story, written by someone who hasn't played the game or watched playthroughs, only read fanfiction.Oh, and they're all dragons-





	1. Honey Close Your Eyes

**Author's Note:**

> D...... Dragon AU  
I'm not sorry, take my scalies

Claude despised the atmosphere that clung to Garreg Mach lately, it made butterflies fill his stomach and his scales feel hot. Every dragonet seemed to be head over heels for someone else, except for Claude, it made him jealous almost, even more so now that he had a front row seat to the public display of affection between a certain Skywing and Nightwing, the two males rubbing their snouts together and purring lowly. 

Ugh, it made him sick, he would eat a cactus if there were any here.

“GET A ROOM!” Claude yelled from the wall he was lying on, laughing as Ferdinand jumped with a squeal, hitting his head against Hubert’s due to the hasty action. Claude laughed from where he was, nearly rolling over onto his stomach from laughter as Hubert huffed out a small plume of fire from his nostrils. 

“Leave him Hubie, he’s not worth your animus magic.” Ferdinand grumbled, Claude sticking his tongue out, Ferdinand grimacing.

“That much I can agree on.” Hubert grunting, nudging him with one of his wings before they walked away, Claude huffing as they left the courtyard below him. Claude wouldn’ve stretched his wings and gotten ready to fly off had he not heard a quiet exchange below him, the Sandwing hybrid looking down to the path below him. 

“Afternoon, Dimitri.”

“Afternoon you two.” Claude slammed his rump down at the sound of that perfect, quiet voice, ears pricked up. Dimitri, the dragonet of his dreams, the only guy he wanted to spend the rest of his days with, oh to hold his talons in his own and put a wing over him and-

Claude stopped mid fantasy, a frown on his face.

Oh Goddess, what in the hells was THAT-

“Gross, gross, gross.” Claude gagged, the Sandwing shook himself, spreading his wings to take in the heat of the sun, casting a long shadow below him. He kept his gaze trailed on the path and he finally saw him.

The perfect dragon was right below him, the Nightwing-Seawing hybrid walked confidently, claws clicking against the cobblestone below him, his almost abyss blue scales shine in the afternoon sun, the faint patches of luminescent scales forming a trail from the back of his head to his flank, the silver spikes that ran down his head and back laid flat, the prince of the holy kingdom relaxed, a rare sight indeed. His wings were tucked neatly into his body, and his tail’s tip flicked, he was in a pleasant mood it seemed.

Claude heard him chuckle softly, oh what a heavenly sound, he wished he heard it more often. He saw the prince’s retainer walk out into the courtyard behind him, the Mudwing-Nightwing speaking about the conditions of the greenhouse it seemed, judging how much the usually quiet dragonet spoke. 

He froze as he saw the retainer spot the shadow and look up, “Claude?”

“Dedue!” Claude nearly sang out, standing up, curling his barbed tail. “Hey! How’s the weather down there?”

Dimitri looked up, those wonderful baby blue eyes softening at the sight of the other house leader. “Claude! What are you doing up on the wall?”

“Relaxing, taking up the sun’s rays, bothering Hubert and Ferdinand.” Claude said, dramatically draping a talon over his eyes, wings flopped against the stone wall. He heard Dimitri laugh quietly from his spot in the courtyard, when he peeked through his talons, he saw the prince sit down, tail tucked around his legs neatly.

“That would explain why they were grumbling after they greeted us.” Dimitri muttered, his retainer huffing slightly. “You may want to tone it down. I wouldn’t put it past Hubert to curse your mouth shut with a spell.”

“Not if I poison him first! He can’t curse me if he can’t move.” Claude joked.   
“Claude!” Dimitri yelped. 

“Relax your princeliness.” The Sandwing laughed, smiling as the prince relaxed below, haunches no longer tense. “Edelgard would have my head if I pestered her retainer too much, and I’d rather not be burnt to a crisp by the Skywing Empress.”

“A mutual feeling, my friend.”

“I have something to attend to your highness, I’ll return shortly.”

“Understood, Dedue.” The retainer bowed to Claude who teasingly repeated the motion before the huge dragonet left, Claude leaping down from the wall to join Dimitri on the ground. “Were you really up there to soak up the sun? I though Rainwings were the ones who basically worshipped it.”

“Everyone needs a little sun. Besides, I miss the afternoon sun in the Alliance’s territory. You can’t tell me you don’t miss the cloudless nights in Faerghus, hm?” The Sandwing retorted lightheartedly, making the hybrid prince’s ears prick slightly.   
“Touche.” Dimitri chuckled. “But there’s more to it than that, correct?”

“Have you not felt it Dima? This place feels like how the dining hall smells on mystery meat night.” Claude waved his wings around for emphasis, pouting as Dimitri tilted his head in confusion. “Claustrophobic.” 

“How so?”

Claude was baffled by the obliviousness of the holy kingdom’s future leader, maybe there was a bit of truth in what Felix said when he called Dimitri a boar. Although, boars were maybe less oblivious than this. 

“It literally stinks of horny teenage dragonets, Dimitri, you can smell it.” Claude wailed, shaking Dimitri’s shoulders as the other yelped, he could feel him grow hot, Claude resting his head on Dimitri’s chest, oh Goddess he wished he could keep it right where it was, right above Dima’s heart. “It reeks, Hubert and Ferdinand, Leonie and Ingrid, hell, I’m sure you’ve seen Sylvain following Felix around like a love sick wolf, right?”

“Well…”

“Even Hilda! My own best friend, sneaking off with Marianne in the dead of night to gossip and talk about flowers and how much of a gorgeous hunk I am-”

“Claude!” Dimitri sputtered, clearly embarrassed, Claude couldn’t contain the laugh he tried to bite back. 

“You get the idea right? It’s no fun being alone.”

“You’re lonely?” Dimitri asked.

“I am, I guess.” Claude huffed, tucking his wings in. He yelped as Dimitri nudged his shoulder with his snout. 

“Come on, let’s go train.”

“Train?!” Claude whined. He had already had to go out with Seteth and Byleth earlier that day, the bruises on his flanks and ribs were proof enough of how the massive Nightwing and lithe hybrid had tossed him around like a ragdoll all morning long. 

“Would you rather be alone?” Dimitri suggested, the dragonet smiling slightly. Oh, oh clever boy.

“Oh fine, but just because I can’t say no when you smile at me like that.” Claude chuckled, letting Dimitri lead the way before he matched his pace. 

“Promise you’ll go easy on old Claude?”

“I’ll try my best.” The dragonet laughed quietly, and Claude nearly melted where he walked.

\---

Claude didn’t know how it happened.

Those little meetings in the courtyard that always led to walks, to training, to flies around Garreg Mach, Claude hadn’t really thought much about the time they had spent together. Really, Claude had brushed it off as Dimitri being polite and trying to get to know him better, since they were both house leaders and all, but no.

Goddess no, it hadn’t been that at all.

Now Claude was curled up with Dimitri , the larger dragonet’s wings curled around him, covering him, drawing him close to the prince’s warmth as he was held dearly, Dimitri snoring softly. 

If this was a dream he didn’t ever want to wake up.

Maybe he was jealous, just a little, but holy shit it had been for a good reason. This was divine, being held, loved, to have someone to confide in you all their worries, their secrets, their fears.

Claude was in love.

In love with Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd.

But in love nonetheless. 

Claude purred softly, a low, happy sound deep in his chest, Dimitri shifting beside him and pulling him closer. Claude saw the faint glow from his scales in his sleep, probably a response to someone in his dreams.

Claude smiled, and he closed his eyes again.

May the Goddess bless them both. 

\---

Dimitri.

Where is Dimitri, where is he, oh Goddess, oh no, please, please don’t let him be dead, please Serios-

Claude raced down the paths of the monastery, he could hear the battle going on outside, sharp cries of pain, roars of anger, wails of agony, screams cut short. Claude bounded up the stairs, wings already unfurling from his sides as he came to the roof, taking a running start before he lept into the air, wings flapping and lifting him into the skies, a flash of gold in the murky sunrise. The whole of Garreg Mach was a warzone, he spotted Byleth amongst the dragons, dispatching foes quickly and moving to catch up to Annette and Dorothea it seemed.

He spotted the familiar blasts of frost breath below, Felix and Sylvain fighting off imperial soldiers together, Sylvain blasting them with fire before Felix hit them with a cold, deadly ice breath. Caspar and Ashe were double teaming a larger dragon, both of the smaller dragonets efficient and sorely underestimated by their now screaming opponent. 

Ignatz raced towards Raphael, the tiny Rainwing hissing before he spit a blotch of corrosive acid into an imperial Skywing’s eyes, the dragon roaring in agony and withering on the ground as the two raced away. Goddess, he even spotted Hubert clawing at Ferdinand’s flank and biting his leg, Ferdinand wailing in agony before he kicked him off, the Skywing racing away with the other retreating Black Eagles that had joined the Blue Lions, Byleth more specifically. Hubert tried to follow him, but Byleth blocked his way suddenly, tackling him down and giving him a few good slashes across the snout and flank before sending him running with his tail between his legs before she raced off once more. 

Goddess bless that dragoness for keeping all of his friends safe. 

No sign of Dimitri.

Goddess where was he?!

“PROFESSOR!”

Oh no.

Claude saw him, he saw Dimitri by the gorge, he saw Dedue pull him away from the edge, the larger dragonet saying something to him before shoving him away from the edge and back into the fray. Dimitri roared in what Claude could only describe as the rage of Serios herself before he launched himself into the fray, dragons scrambling to get out of the way. Claude saw Edelgard nearby, the dragoness clearly looking for Dimitri, her enemy, if anyone was in her way for total control of Fodlan, it was Rhea, and Dimitri, and as far as Claude knew Rhea was either captured or already dead. 

He saw the white Skywing narrow her eyes and race forward, cutting down everyone in her way, friend or foe alike.

She had seen Dimitri. She was going to kill him.

Claude had to save Dimitri.

Claude tucked his wings in and dove into the battle, landing on top of a very surprised Icewing and flinching as he heard her back snap and her legs buckle beneath her weight as he shoved himself off her and bounded toward Dimitri with the momentum. “Dima!”

Claude couldn’t feel his legs, his wings, his anything, it felt like it took forever to reach his Dimitri, his prince, and the moment he got to him he regretted every life decision up until that point. 

Claude got a perfect view of Dimitri silencing a scream of pain from an imperial Skywing by snapping his neck between his maw, Dimitri dropping the limp body before he lunged at another imperial soldier, this Icewing not having time to even make noise before Dimitri made his skull collapse in on itself beneath his claws, Claude wanting to retch up the measly breakfast he had that morning. Dimitri was killing every dragon that got too close, a Mudwing tried to burn him, fire hitting Dimitri but almost seeming to bounce off before Dimitri blast him with his own flames, the Mudwing screaming in agony before racing away, still on fire, companions screaming as he tripped and cannoned into them

Claude wanted to say something, anything to snap Dimitri out of this rage, he wanted to calm him down, hold him, soothe him, but when Dimitri looked at him he didn’t see warmth. He saw bloodlust, a fire raging so brightly Dimitri could’ve gone blind. Dimitri’s snout was stained with blood and so were his claws, and he had his sights set on Claude now. 

“DIMA!” Claude roared, as Dimtri bowled into him, the prince hissing, his talons around Claude’s throat, Claude trying to claw at him, kick him off, fucking stab him with his barbed tail but gods dammit he had no poison! Dimitri was going to kill him thinking he was an enemy, he was going to snap his neck or suffocate him, or-

Dimitri suddenly let go, Claude gasping for lost breath as Dimitri roared in agony and Claude then saw it. His left wing was  _ dissolving,  _ the leather slowly being eaten away by  _ acid _ . He saw a flash of pink before something shoved him up. 

“Hurry up, by the Goddess, that won’t hold him for long!”

Hilda. 

Claude looked back at Dimitri, who was still roaring in agony, his wing was missing more than half the leathery skin that let dragons fly, Dimitri could never regrow it, he was landbound now, by the Goddess, Hilda had sentenced Dimitri to death. Edelgard was going to be able to catch him and kill him.

Hilda shoved him again, taking to the air before Claude followed, shaking as Dimitri tried to follow them, leaping into the air only to fall to the mud again, Claude wincing. 

“CLAUDE, HELLO, I’M SAVING YOU LIFE, GODS DAMMIT!”

Claude finally turned to fly away with her, to where he could see the other Golden Deer were hiding and waiting, licking their wounds and cowering like kicked dogs. He heard Dimitri roar in agony again, and the faint start of a new conversation between someone and the holy kingdom’s prince.

“Why, if it isn’t Lambert’s boy~”

“Cornelia?!”

Claude closed his eyes, and he prayed to whatever would listen. 

Please.

Please let him see Dimitri again.


	2. Like You're Supposed to Do

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "What's he going to do, eat me?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: Mentions of gore and cannibalism, Nightwings are basically komodo dragons and Dimitri is too lethargic to hunt so he just eats the bodies of the guys who come to kill him.

Claude’s talons dug into the dry dirt beneath him, the Sandwing looking out into the distance with a sense of dread. Beyond him, miles and miles away was the imposing Garreg Mach, in ruins, towers had collapsed and walls looked ready to do the same. It had been five years since he was last here, almost six since he had walked this same path with his fellow house leaders, captain Jeralt and Byleth. Now, Jeralt was dead, Byleth had disappeared, Edelgard was slowly conquering Fodlan and Dimitri was likely dead.

Well, that’s what he had thought two weeks ago.

Claude had hired some bandits to investigate Garreg Mach for him, the Sandwing hadn’t been recognized, he looked like any other Sandwing, really. He had told them he needed to find out what kind of dragon was supposedly haunting the place, and they could keep all the loot they found. They had gladly agreed, and Claude promised them a bonus if they promised to come back all tell him what they saw. In the end, only one came back, wings torn off her back, missing chunks out of her tail and one of her legs, and pale, even for an Icewing, blue blood pooling underneath her as she staggered to his camp. She had collapsed, muttering something about a gigantic beast, with the strength of 20 dragons and a mane like a lion’s. It had bled into shadows after taking down her companions before a flash of blue scales drew her attention away and led to her pathetic state now. Her wounds had been infected badly, her leg fell off, followed by her tail before they found (rather smelt) her three days later, stiff as a board, dead. 

Hilda told him he was crazy, told him it wasn’t who he was looking for, that if he died she was going to kill him again. Claude knew she was right, he was crazy, but he wasn’t going to just leave now, not after coming so far. 

Dimitri was there, he knew it, deep in his scales. The Almyran hadn’t been able to sleep at all last night, a poor move on his part, but he was here, Dimitri was within reach.

The Sandwing was no fool however, he hadn’t expected to just run into Garreg Mach and hope the prince was happy to see him. Dragons had gone to Garreg Mach and as far Claude knew, only the Icewing he had hired had come back from a company of 12. Dimitri’s claws were stained with the blood of looters, Knights of Serios who came to take down the Damned Beast, imperial soldiers and even members of the Alliance who had been dumb enough to go behind Claude’s back and come here.

Dimitri had killed. He had killed so many, enough to be labeled a monster. Claude wasn’t stupid, Dimitri had nearly done the same to him when the Empire had invavded Garreg Mach. To top it all off, Dimitri’s genetics were probably the most dangerous mix known to dragons. Nightwings were immensely strong, and their bites contained a venomous saliva, the Icewing had learned this first hand, her wounds and death a direct result of the killer bite. On top of that, Nightwings fire was the second strongest, second only to Skywings, Claude had watched Dimitri set foes ablaze before, his fire was not something to take lightly. Dimitri’s Seawing genes only granted him more strength, and he could breathe underwater, one whack from Dimitri’s tail could shatter bone if he put enough force into a swing. 

Claude had to be careful if he wanted to survive this. 

“Claude, what in the name of Serios are you doing out here?” 

Claude looked over, twisting his neck slightly to spot Hilda, the Rainwing yawning lowly as she padded over, stretching each leg out as she slowly made her way to Claude’s side, sitting down beside him. He hadn’t heard her wake up.

“Thinking.” He sighed.

“There’s a chance that it isn’t him, Claude.” Hilda huffed, curling her tail around herself, wings against her sides.

“And there’s a chance it is, Hilda. I need to see it with my own two eyes.”

Hilda scoffed, her colors shifting to a hot pink, red stripes on her tail. “I still don’t know why I can’t come with you.”

“Gee Hilda, I wonder why in the name of the moon I’m not going to take you to see my estranged boyfriend whose wing you  _ melted off _ .” Claude gasped dramatically, Hilda snorting. “It’s not like I want to keep him calm or anything, I rather value my head, and my legs, and my wings and my tail, Hilda.”

Hilda sighed deeply, rolling her shoulders and whacking the back of his head with a wing, the Almyran yelping and rubbing the back of his head, glaring at the Rainwing who smirked smuggly back at him.

“You’re childish.”

“And you’re stupid and in love.”

Claude rolled his eyes, “I’m going to get ready.” He heaved himself off his haunches, bumping into Hilda with his flank and knocking her down, the Rainwing hissing at him as he laughed. 

“I hope he eats you!”

“I hope so too!” He called back, ducking as a stick flew past his fins.

\---

Oh gods this was so much harder that he was here.

Claude adjusted the scarf around his neck, the bag around his shoulder shifting as he gulped. No turning back once he walked past those gates. Only a fool would make such a choice and make themselves known to the beast of Garreg Mach.

Guess Claude was a fool.

He stepped through the arch, a shiver running down his spine as he walked through the monastery. Vines were creeping up the cobblestone walls, some of them were turning brown, covered in frost like most of the grass, and shrubs nearby. Claude had come back in the worst time, the dragon was built for desert heat, not forest winter, he was going to be in trouble if Dimitri decided to fight him. A sluggish dragon was a dead dragon.

Claude stepped over a fallen pillar, the dragon walking past the old dorms, his own old dorm. He detoured for a moment and pushed the slightly ajar door open for a moment, a wave of nostalgia flooding through him. The sickly smell of dying fungi and herbs filled his nose but it barely bothered him, the dragonet squeezing through the door, looking around the room. Old papers littered the ground, with sketches and notes, his bed was still unmade, the blankets in tatters, likely from the rats and mice he had seen nearby. His beakers and vials were still on the table, some slightly cracked, from what, he didn’t really know.

Claude remembered working here with Dimitri some nights, Dimitri on his bed, looking through his notes, slowly dozing off to the scribble of claws on paper and the smell of smoke from lit candles. Claude would either be studying or working on some new poison. He would shoot up when he made a breakthrough or whenever something failed miserably. At the end of the night, Dimitri would move his wing for Claude to worm his way beside him, the Sandwing’s natural warmth a comfort to both him and the prince. Those were simpler times, now Claude might find Dimitri again, only to have lost him to insanity. 

He left the room and closed the door, exploring the rest of the monastery for a good chunk of the morning. Nothing had disturbed him yet, save for the one rat that had scrambled out from underneath an old rug and darted between his legs for cover. Claude was getting worried, maybe the thing that had haunted this place had died from old wounds, or finally gotten tired of all the disturbances and left.

No, no he had to be here. There was one place he hadn’t looked yet though, and Claude prayed to something that his Dima was there.

Claude nearly sprinted to where the entrance to it was, no guards stopping him from slowly making his way up to the top. Claude had to stop half way as the rotting smell of flesh filled his nostrils, the Sandwing shaking his head violently as he snorted. Something was definitely here, and judging by how strong the smell got the closer he got to the top, he was sure Dimitri had to be here.

Claude panted as he made it to the top, the Sandwing trying his hardest to not retch, eyes watering as he looked around. Nothing stood out, there were bodies in the corners of the room, either this dragon was very messy or very smart. The potent smell masked the scents of any dragon who would be living here, Dimitri maybe feral but he was smart.

Claude slowly padded out into the center of the tower, looking up at the broken ceiling. Sun filtered into the center, and Claude sighed loudly as he soaked up the sun’s rays on his golden scales.

Then the Sandwing heard the dragging of scales, and Claude whirled around, barbed tail raised. 

If Claude hadn’t pissed before coming here he would’ve pissed himself now. 

Green eyes met an icy blue one as he cowered, a massive dragon, easily two times his size, towering over him, looking down his scarred snout at the intruder. This was Dimitri, it had to be, his scales had dulled into a dark, almost black, abyss blue, but this giant’s left wing bore the marks of Rainwing venom, and his entire body was scarred, showing the signs of war proudly like a general would his medals.

“Leave. Now.”

The Almyran shuddered, but stood his ground, even though he smelled like fear. The dragon before him didn’t seem to like this little display of courage though. “Are you deaf? Leave!” Dimitri bellowed, Claude flinching. 

“... Dimitri.” Claude whispered, shaking himself before standing straighter, the dragon in front of his narrowing his only eye. “It’s me. It’s Claude.”

Dimitri let out a beastily snarl, Claude jumping as he slammed a foot down, baring his teeth. “Lies. Claude is dead.”

“Do you take me for someone who is easy to kill?!” Claude yelped. Oh sweet, merciful Goddess he wished he hadn’t said that, why couldn’t he keep his mouth shut.

Dimitri roared, Claude barely avoiding his lunge and snapping jaws, the two having swapped places, Dimitri now in the sun, giving Claude a better view of the prince. 

He had been right, Dimitri had grown, and he had grown a ton. He wasn’t even standing straight and Claude didn’t reach his shoulders. His horns had curled slightly upward, fading from a dark gray at the base to pure white at the tips, his back spikes doing the same, the crown behind his head raised in anger. Scars littered his body, but two caught Claude’s attention, the one on his chest, x-shaped and badly scarred, and the four claw like ones on his face, covered by an eyepatch he had tied, covering his right eye. He wore a heavy cape, black and white in color, it was tied around his chest by a clip, to any other dragon it would’ve been a hassle, what with flying being a thing and all, but Dimitri couldn’t fly, even if he wanted to.

“Gods, Dima, what happened to you…” Claude whimpered softly, Dimitri growled lowly at the mention of his name. “You look terrible…”

Dimitri stayed crouched, watching Claude intently as the Sandwing shifted uneasily on his feet. “You’re not like the others, you speak and you move like I do.”

“Others? I sure hope you don’t mean the corpses…” Claude shuddered. 

“You’re no ghost.” Dimitri whispered, ignoring Claude. “You must be a spy, an imperial hound, or even worse, an illusion!” The Sandwing yelped as Dimitri shot up, his wings flaring open, the glowing marks on his back glowing mutely. 

“Dima, I’m no ghost.” Claude pleaded. “I’m flesh and bone, ask me something only Claude would know, anything!”

“I don’t need to prove what I know.” Dimitri hissed, baring his fangs, making Claude flinch. “I don’t need proof to snap your neck.”

Claude shot between Dimitri’s legs as he lunged again, narrowly avoiding a bite to his tail. “Dimitri if you’re not going to listen, I’m going to have to take drastic measures to get you to stay still!”

Claude saw the unmistakable glow of Dimitri’s chest, the Almyran leaping away without a second to spare as the prince unleashed a plume of flames, snorting out smoke once he shut his jaws. Claude had scrambled onto one of the support beams on the ceiling, clawing at the sides to maintain his balance. “Dima! Goddess above, listen to me!”

“The Goddess can’t hear you here!” Dimitri roared, rearing on his hind legs and snapping at Claude again, the Sandwing a good bit out of reach, sighing in relief. Dimitri eventually gave up, Claude thankful that Nightwings only had enough energy for one blast of fire every few days, the exertion too draining on their large bodies. 

“Will you listen to me now, Dima?”

“SILENCE!” Dimitri roared, turning around to pace the tower angrily.

“I guess not.” Claude sighed.

\---

Claude had fallen asleep on the beams, the Sandwing waking up with a quiet keen, stretching his wings lazily. He looked down once had blinked the sleep out of his eyes, spotting a dark lump curled up under the opening in the roof. The last of the sun’s rays were bleeding into the tower, making Dimitri’s scales glow a regal gold almost.

He didn’t look asleep, and once Claude shifted in the beams above, he saw Dimitri lift his head slightly to look up at him, eye narrowed, pupil a needle-like slit. Had he been waiting for him to jump down mindlessly, perhaps even roll off the beam in his sleep? Dimitri was persistent, he’d give him that.

“Afternoon, your kingliness.” Claude cooed.

Dimitri snorted, lowering his head to put it over his talons once more. Claude pouted, still not wanting to talk, huh? Alright, fine. Baby steps it was then, Claude had his ways.

“Are you always like this?”

  
“Keep talking and I’ll eat you.”

“You can’t reach me, Dima. And even if you could, I could fly out of here, unlike you.” Claude hated rubbing salt on an open wound but if it helped, he had to do it. Dimitri snarled, looking back at him, teeth bared.

“You test my patience, Sandwing.”

“Good! Hopefully I get you to leave this tower from hunger! You can’t eat me, there’s no food here-”

Claude yelped, startled as Dimitri heaved himself onto his feet with a rough grunt, padding towards a corner. Claude ears pricked up, watching the prince- no,  _ king _ \- sniff around in the dark curiously, squinting. Claude saw his luminescent scales suddenly light up, and the king snapped his jaws around something, slowly backing up from the corner with something in his mouth, the Sandwing unable to make it out until Dimitri turned around.

Claude nearly threw up there and then, in the king’s mouth was a chunk of another  _ dragon,  _ it looked liked a Mudwing by the looks of it, and it stank, but Dimitri dropped onto the ground, wrapping his talons around it to hold it in place before he dug in, Claude gagging. Thank the Goddess it was a small chunk of meat.

“Goddess, that’s disgusting!” 

“If you won’t provide me with a fresh meal, I’ll simply eat something else.” Dimitri said through a mouthful of meat.

“You’re going to be sick!” Claude protested, wanting desperately to pry it out of Dimitri’s claws and chuck it out of the tower. “You’ll come down with something, or worse, die a slow, painful death! It probably has worms!”

“You’re stupider than you look.” Dimitri hissed, Claude feeling a growl rumble in his chest. “You know of that saliva Nightwings produce, I assume?”

“I sure hope I do and I didn’t avoid your stupid maw for no reason.” Claude grumbled, Dimitri snarling to silence him. 

“It’s disgusting to anything else. Not even flies will get near meat tainted by our saliva or rot.” Dimitri continued, Claude almost felt like he was normal and not some crazy feral piece of shit who threatened to eat him. “Our stomach acids are more potent than that of other dragons, it helps out fire but rasps our throat far too much for us to use it too often. It ends up burning off all our taste buds, fries our nerves.”

“You can’t taste.” Claude concluded, Dimitri grunting in agreement. “Incredible. That’s why you can only use your fire in short bursts, you risk cooking yourself alive.”

Dimitri said nothing before digging back into his meal, Claude standing up on the beam awkwardly and spreading his wings. “I’ll be back, don’t do anything stupid.”

“I already did letting you live.”

Claude huffed before taking off. He’d have to tell Hilda to wait at camp for the others, this was going to take a long time and he had to let her know he wasn’t dead.


	3. Fuzzy Feeling, and I Miss You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Making progress, even if only a little bit.

Hilda nearly clawed Claude’s snout off when he came back, tears pricked her eyes before she finally caved and hugged him. Thank Serios that Sandwing scales were always so freaking warm.

“I thought you were you dead you lump of scales.”

Claude smiled warmly as his friend hugged him, the Sandwing nudging her shoulder teasingly once she let go. “Really, Hilda? You have such little faith in me?”

Hilda huffed, but didn’t shy away from his touch, the Rainwing glad to see he was okay and uninjured. “Was he there?”

Claude nodded, Hilda not being able to contain a quiet gasp. 

“By the Goddess…” 

“No kidding.” Claude walked past her, towards their supplies. “Hilda, do we have any fresh fish or fruit?”

“We should have some. Why?”

“Dima’s eating other dragons. He can’t hunt with his lame wing, and he doesn’t want to leave the Goddess Tower.”

Hilda had only been half paying attention until he said, oh, she didn’t know  _ “Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd is eating other motherfucking dragons like one would eat a boar or deer.” _

“Excuse me, Dimitri is eating WHAT?!”  
“I want to get him some fruit and fish, he might be more willing to trust me if I bring him fresh food.” Claude said, ignoring Hilda’s shocked response. “I’m bringing my paralysis poison with me too, Dimitri is unpredictable and I can’t risk him hurting me while he’s in this state. If I can sting him and actually do something to him when I do it’d be great.”

The Sandwing let out a soft “ah-ha!” as he pulled out a vial with a clear liquid, opening it and dripping some of the poison onto his tail barb. Hilda watched, scales having faded into a pale white, reminiscent of a Icewing.

“You hadn’t brought it last time?!”

“I was fine! I slept on the roof beams.”

Hilda dragged her talons down her face, groaning as Claude leapt into the air with a quick “Bye Hilda!”, and flew back to Garreg Mach, leaving her to greet the students and facility who would soon be arriving. Goddess give her patience until her wife got here.

\---

“Dima! I’m back!” Claude announced, landing on the beam he had been on, getting the attention of Dimitri, who was sunbathing underneath him, now in the Sandwing’s shadow. Claude could count every little star like spot on his wings from here, well, if there weren’t more pressing matters to attend to.

“Go away.”

“Aw, come on, Dima! I brought you food!” Claude reached into the satchel, claws grasping around an apple it seemed and showing it to the Nightwing. Claude smiled as he tilted his head, ears perked. Now that Claude thought of it he probably hadn’t seen an apple since their academy days. “Yeah! See, I’m not so bad, I care about your health, crazy digestive system or not.”

Dimitri got to his feet, crouching before leaping into the air suddenly and catching Claude off guard. With a roar, he brought the beam, and Claude, down to the floor of the Goddess Tower with a crash, Claude letting out a terrified yelp. Before he could unfurl his wings and bolt, Dimitri slammed him into the ground, one talon on his chest and another around his neck.

“You dare poison me?!” Dimitri snarled above him, eye crazed, ears drawn back against his head. Oh Goddess he was mad.

“P-Poison?! N-No, no! They’re not poisoned!” Claude wheezed, his talons weakly clawing at Dimitri’s front legs, his own legs kicking against the king’s gut. Dimitri’s back leg had pinned Claude’s tail in place, the Sandwing unable to prick him, and he didn’t think he’d like the idea of being crushed to death by a two ton dragon.

“Prove it.” Dimitri hissed. “Eat it.”

“But I brought these for you!” Claude weakly protested.

“ ** _Eat it or I eat you and use your measly bones as a TOOTHPICK!”_ ** Dimitri roared, Claude squeaking before he removed himself from on top of, talons slamming against Claude’s tail.

“OW!” Claude wailed. “Dimitri, I’m not going to run away, gods dammit!” 

“EAT!” The Sandwing huffed, pouring out all the contents of his satchel, and letting them plop to the ground, glaring at Dimitri while he did so, the hybrid only giving him a silent snarl as a response. 

Claude picked up a pineapple instead, biting into it like if it were an apple or banana, swallowing and then outstretching his arms, mouth still full of fruit. “See!”

Dimitri snapped his jaws at him as he let go of his tail, making Claude fall over with a startled squeak. He looked over as Dimitri nosed the fruit, finally snapping up an apple and sitting down, head bowed as he ate. Claude sat a little ways away, watching him eat the fresh food before pulling away with a burp. 

“Gross.” Claude grunted, sticking his tongue out. 

Dimitri didn’t respond as he turned towards the stairwell, Claude right behind him before the king swirled around, teeth bared. “Don’t follow me.”

“Why not?!”

“Follow me, and I’ll have your head on a pike, just like the bitch who cast me here, into this damned place of ruin.” Dimitri warned quietly, eye wild and voice dripping with venom. 

“Bitch? You mean Edel-”

Claude was pinned to the floor before he could blink, claws digging into his scales as he let out a cry of alarm, panic setting in. He was back in the field five years ago, a crazy Dimitri over him, about to snap his neck with his talons, or his jaws, about to kill him like had killed those imperial soldiers. 

“DO NOT SPEAK HER NAME! NEVER SPEAK HER NAME.” Dimitri roared as Claude gasped for breath, he felt light headed, his limbs weak, heavy, and it suddenly all rushed back into him like a punch in the gut, Dimitri letting go of him and turning back to leave, Claude curled up on the floor, a talon around his neck. 

Fuck, yeah, that was for sure going to bruise.

\---

Claude decided to fly back to camp while Dimitri was doing who knows what. He had some  poultice he could apply to the bruises he were sure were around his neck. Goddess dammit all, why did Dimitri have to be going through this, why had fate been so cruel, why had it done all of this Claude’s prince.

He flapped his wings down with more force than he meant, being launched into the air current above him, above the clouds of the later morning sky, with a cry of frustration, his talons rubbing at his temples. “Serios be damned, why is this so hard!”

Dimitri had been a bit stubborn when they were students, whenever the students had intramurals or mock battles, Dimitri would pick out the most likely threat from each house and go for them, even if he had a severe disadvantage. Claude will never forget the look on Hubert and Ferdinand’s face that one time Dimitri launched into them with a battle cry and distracted them for the whole fight while the Golden Deer swept the rest of the houses off their feet. Edelgard had been furious. Dimitri a bit embarrassed, and Claude had enjoyed the perfect material for his teasing of the Holy Kingdom’s prince. 

Now, Dimitri was like an immovable object to Claude’s unstoppable force. It was a miracle he didn’t rip Claude to shreds the moment he brought the beam and unsuspecting Claude down to the ground, and that he had had enough restraint when Claude nearly mentioned Edelgard.

He had to be more careful, he realized. Claude wasn’t naive enough to believe Dimitri wasn’t traumatized, he was. He had heard Dimitri had been executed. But no, he was here, in Garreg Mach, haunting it like a ghost might haunt the place it died. What had happened to Dima in the five years since Edelgard’s army invaded Garreg Mach? What had made him snap?

The Almyran sighed, this was making his head hurt, he needed some tea, some food, and maybe a nap that didn’t make him sleep with one eye open. He flew back down beneath the clouds, tilting his wings to bank towards the cliff that led to he and Hilda’s secluded camp. He noticed immediately that Hilda wasn’t perched there, like she had been when he returned earlier that day.

Something was wrong. 

Claude had told her to stay here and wait for anyone who came back from any of the houses, or from the facility, even. He knew the professors were devastated about losing Byleth, he knew they’d be looking for a ray of hope after losing them and Rhea.

Claude landed quietly, ears perked as he stalked forward, body low. He kept his tail up so the scales wouldn’t dragon on the dirt, steps light on the rough terrain.

“Oh Goddess, that’s hilarious!” He heard the familiar boom from Raphael. 

“Ignatz, pass me that crate over there! Yeah, that one, orange galore!” Lysethia beamed, the squeak that has usually spruced her sentences up (and that Claude had teased) gone.

“Can you not descale the fish right in front of me, Lorenz?! Just eat the damn thing!” Leonie snarled, her voice was a bit deeper, and her burst of laughter only left him imagining what Lorenz looked like.

Claude burst through the brush, earning himself many yelps of shock, and an especially loud squeal from Lorenz. Claude felt like his chest would burst like a pinata, he could feel tears brimming in the corners of his eyes. 

“Claude thank goodness you scared me!” Hilda roared from her spot beside Marianne, the pale blue Seawing giggling from beside her wife, their talons laced together. 

“Are you crying?” Ignatz yelped, the pale green Rainwing’s frills turning orange in alarm.

“N-No… Okay, yeah, yeah, I am. Come ‘ere!” Claude wailed, unfurling his wings and outstretching his arms as the Golden Deer crashed into him, all of them squealing as Raphael scooped them all up into his arms. Claude let the frustration from dealing with Dimitri, the pain, the hurt, go. He let a much needed sob rack his body was he was held by the students he had learned to call family.

The Golden Deer had reunited.

The excitement and joy died down slowly, the dragons starting a fire and eating a large meal as they caught up on five years of being apart. Leonie looked a bit sad, her wings tucked tight into her body and her voice heavy with grief. Claude realized she and Ingrid were together, and Ingrid still thought Dimitri was dead. The grief of the supposed heir’s death was more widespread than Claude thought.

Oh shit, wait-

“Dimitri’s alive!” He blurted out, rushing to his feet, his housemates gasping in shock, a chunk of bear falling out of Raphael’s mouth.

“HE WHAT?!” Lysethia squeaked.

“Dimitri! Dammit, I haven’t gone to check up on him! Shit!” Claude rushed to a crate, letting the curses tumble out of his mouth. He plunged his snout in to look for food to stuff into his satchel to bring back lest Dimitri resort to eating more rotten meat, the dragons behind him still in silent shock.  
“But everyone said he was dead!” Leonie yelped, breaking the quiet. “Cornelia sent messages throughout all of Fodlan when it was announced they had given into the Empire!”

“Do you take Dimitri for a man whose easy to kill?” Claude hissed, flinching as Leonie dropped her gaze. “Sorry. Sorry, I’m a mess right now.” He rubbed at his temples again, sighing deeply, taking a few deep breaths. 

“Obviously.” Lorenz huffed.  
“He’s not himself right now, he’s more like a rabid bear than a dragon.” Claude sighed.

“You’ve been visiting him?” Raphael asked. “Where is he?”

“Garreg Mach. I need to go back, I’m the only whose left there twice now and lived. You should see how many bodies are there, I have to clean all that up.”

“Can we come with you?” Marianne asked softly. 

“NO!” Claude yelped, making everyone jump out of their scales. “No, no, no! Dimitri nearly killed me the first time he saw me, I can’t- I  _ won’t _ \- Let Dimitri lay a talon on any of you.” He looked around at his friends, pleading to every higher power he knew that they would understand.

He let out a sigh he didn’t know he had been holding in as they nodded. 

“Alrighty lover boy, you win.” Leonie laughed. “Go and help the miserable lump of scales.”

“Do try and be… Dignified in your approaches.” Lorenz hissed. “Please.”

“I’m going to get such a good dicking-”

“CLAUDE.” Hilda and Lorenz roared at the same time, Claude laughing as the other Golden Deer held in their giggles. 

“Stay safe!” Marianne wailed as Claude took off, the Sandwing waving good-bye without turning around, diving down into the valley below. 

Claude felt excitement bubble in his gut as he flew back, blood roaring in his ears as he spotted two groups travelling towards the direction he came from, both with only six dragons. The Blue Lions and Black Eagles had arrived.   
  


\---

Claude hovered over the ceiling entrance, pondering how the hell he would sleep here if his precious beam was now splinters of wood. He finally decided to take a risk, and landed on the ground, a grunt greeting him. 

“Oh, splendid, you’re not dead.” Dimitri grunted out angrily. 

Claude stayed where he was, finally realizing where he was, curled up in a corner, eye glowing in the dark of the tower, an icy blue that sent shivers down his spine. “You’re back! You okay?”

Dimitri snorted, not answered the question as he sniffed the air aggressively. 

“Ah, you smell the food huh?”

“You insist on feeding me fresh food, despite the fact I have food here.” 

“About that.” Claude said, emptying his satchel. “No more decaying dragons. I’m not letting that habit get any worse. That ends tonight.” 

Dimitri growled lowly, eye narrowed. “What makes you think you’ll stop me.”

“I’m staying here.” Claude said, matter-of-factly, Dimitri’s growled deepening. “And I’m going to toss out all the bodies, somehow.”

“No.”

“No to staying here or to dumping of bodies, because I’m sure everything goes here-”

“No to everything.” Dimitri hissed. “I refuse to share my lair with a…” He didn’t know what to finish that sentence with, biting his tongue. 

“Oh, really, calling this a lair?” The Almyran huffed, “It smells of decay! Worse than my old room, have you even been in my room, Dima?”

“You’re not staying!” Dimitri roared.

“You don’t get a say in this!” Claude snapped. “I’m going to help you, even if it takes the next 50 years, I’m going to help you.”

Claude only slightly flinched when Dimitri stood up, shoving his snout into Claude’s. “You will die here if you stay.”

“I’d rather be by your side than anywhere else.” Claude hissed, surprised when he saw Dimitri move back. “I will get my old Dimitri back, even if it’s the last thing I do on this miserable continent.”

Silence filled the tower, before Dimitri turned away, flopping back down, side-eyeing the fruit and fish. Claude huffed before he heaved himself off his haunches, Dimitri following him with his gaze as he gathered some of the splintered wood from earlier.

“What in the hells are you doing?”

“Gathering firewood.” Claude used his left leg to claw a small hole into the cobble, the stone crumbling underneath the pressure. He placed the wood there before he let his chest glow amber, feeling the warmth into his belly turn into a molten hot as he spewed out flames into the hole, a fire starting in the center of the tower, snapping and hissing. 

Dimitri growled lowly, Claude looking over. “I contained it, Dima, it’s fine. It won’t spread.” 

Claude reached for the pineapple he had seen earlier, and placed his talon over the fire, his chest glowing again as he let out a weak stream of fire onto it, he heard Dimitri snort in confusion behind him. 

“What the…”

“Have you never eaten roasted pineapple?” Claude asked, shaking out his arm, brushing off the small embers that had clung to it. 

“Nor do I want to.”

“Oh no! You made me eat earlier today, now I get to, too!” Claude huffed, going over to him, the dragon presenting the king the roasted pineapple. “Try it.”

“No.”

“You can’t even taste anything, try it!”  
“No.”

“Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd you WILL eat this pineapple or so help me!”

Dimitri curled his lip, snarling out his disapproval. 

“Eat the damn pineapple!”

“Shove it up your ass, Riegan!” Dimitri snarled, swatting it out of Claude’s talons, Claude yelping and catching it before it landed on the ground. 

“Asshole.”

“Is what you are.”

Claude swore he saw the tiniest smile of victory on Dimitri’s face as he watched Claude eat the roasted pineapple angrily, arms crossed, sitting on his haunches. It was a small development, maybe Claude really was seeing things, but judging by how Dimitri didn’t tear his scales off and wear them as a cape when they fought over the meal, he assumed it was a step in the right direction.

\---

Hilda was left in charge of the Golden Deer again, night had fallen by the time everyone had eaten their share and fallen to quiet chatter. The Rainwing heard the faint snap of branches nearby, lifting her head from the spot beside her sleepy wife. The dragoness stood up and growled lowly at the direction at had come from, the fangs at the roof of her mouth slowly unhinging. 

The other Golden Deer tensed behind her, and she heard the drag of scales as they took up defensive positions around her. Marianne cast her a worried glance, twining her tail with Hilda’s as she tensed her shoulders. 

“Speak up or I’m going to make you look a whole lot uglier!” Hilda warned, a quiet snarl building up in her throat. 

“Hilda?”

Hilda recognized that voice.

Oh Goddess, save her.

Everyone relaxed when they saw Ferdinand step out of the forest, the bright copper of his scales glowing in the light of the fire. They heard a grunt beside him as Felix stepped out, the hybrid Seawing-Icewing standing tall, even if short compared to Ferdinand. Behind them, most of the other house members stepped out, Hilda noticing how Dorothea looked behind her, Linhardt yawning beside her. 

“Linny, honey, where’s Caspar?” The Seawing asked.

“Caspar?” Linhardt echoed, sighing softly. The group heard the thundering from the forest, and a long, deep scream. 

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA-”

Linhardt moved closer to Dorothea as Caspar came cannoning out of the woods, running snout first into Raphael, who let out a grunt from the weight that him, the short cyan Seawing now face first in the dirt laughing gleefully. 

“There’s Caspar.”

“Sparring partner!”

“Sparring partner!” Raphael beamed, Caspar getting up and running around him, questions tumbling out of his mouth as the others looked back at Hilda. 

“Is your own house leader late to this?” Felix huffed. “What an example, to be upstaged by you.” She could feel the smugness from here, and she yawned, stretching her arms and legs, dipping down much like a cat or dog would. Time to wipe the smirk she knew he had off that stupid lil’ face.

“He’s with Dimitri.”

Hilda smirked when she saw Felix’s jaw drop, the Blue Lions going quiet.

“His Highness is alive?!” Ingrid gasped. 

“Impossible. The boar died on the execution block.” Felix retorted, but his voice betrayed him, shaking. 

“No, he’s alive. Why do you think Claude isn’t here?”

The Blue Lions looked at each other before Sylvain started laughing, the Skywing-Seawing nearly falling over. Felix and Ingrid both glared at him, Hilda rolling her eyes but knowing what he was about to say.

“Oh Serios, he’s getting dicked down!”

There it was, Hilda snorted as Marianne sighed from beside her.

“SYLVAIN!” Ingrid roared, Sylvain ducking away from a swipe to his snout but yelping as she shoved him down. “Asshole!”

“You know he probably is!” Now Felix swiped at him, stomping on his tail.

“Dimitri is full blown rabid right now, Claude is trying to help him to his senses. He’s staying in Garreg Mach with him until then. No one can go over there.” Hilda repeated what Claude had told them, Felix snorting.

“So he finally snapped.”

“But he’s alive…” Ingrid whispered, Annette beaming as Mercedes sent a silent thank you to the Goddess. 

“Claude will keep coming back, I’m sure of it, the fact he isn’t dead yet is a good sign.”

The groups nodded, Hilda sitting down as Ashe walked towards the front of the group, looking around. “W-Where’s Dedue?”

“Wait, he isn’t with you?” 

Ashe shook his head, the other Blue Lions looking at each other in worry.

“We’ll find him!” Caspar assured Ashe. “Maybe it’s too dangerous for him to get here right now! He wouldn’t have forgotten and he couldn’t have died!”

Ashe whimpered, but he nodded. “R-Right. Right. Dedue isn’t dead.”

“Just a little late!” Caspar said with a toothy grin. 

Ashe giggled, Hilda smiling before she looked over at what was left of the Black Eagles. Of course, since they had defected from Edelgard, their leader wasn’t there, but she noticed the usually not so empty spot beside Ferdinand. 

“No Hubert?” Hilda asked the copper Skywing. 

“He personally saw to running us six out of the Empire.” Dorothea hissed. 

“Told us to never show our faces again else there’d be hell to pay.” Ferdinand finished. The sadness dripped from his words, Hilda felt sorry for the poor Skywing. She knew he and Hubert had been very close.

“Bastard.” Linhardt said bluntly. 

“I nearly lost my tail to him, he will pay for the biting of it.” Petra snapped, the Silkwing snorting out dust. 

“Trust me, Gronder Field is going to be littered in red in three months.” Hilda said with a smile.

“And hopefully Edelgard will be one of them.” Bernie said boldy, Hilda snorting out a plume of fire.

“For sure. This isn’t a battle for territory, or for kingdoms, or glory, or fame, not for any of that!” Hilda spread her wings. “This is a battle for Fodlan’s future.”

“Indeed.” Ferdinand purred.

“It was always for that.” Felix added.

Hilda felt… Powerful. All these dragons agreed with her, they agreed with what Claude thought, with what Dimitri hopefully thought too.

“It’s good to be back, ya know.” Annette chirped. “I missed you all!”

“The feeling is shared, Annette!” Bernie squeaked, her tail curling happily, her scales shifting to the calm lilac purple she loved so much.

The dragons nodded, beginning to mingle and talk with one another before Hilda coughed loughly, getting their attention. The Rainwing got up and swooping her wing towards the fire, “Now, we have a lot of catching up to do. Sit down, we have a ton of food, and plenty of embarrassing stories to tell.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys, holy crap?? Thank you so much for the love you've given this fic, ever kudos means the world to me and I love you all so much, thank you!!!


	4. Why Can Nothing Stay the Same

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And you thought I couldn't write fluff.

It had officially turned into the sixth week Claude had been here, in Garreg Mach with Dimitri, and Claude was making a surprising amount of progress, at least in his opinion. The Sandwing was pleased with himself, he couldn’t be prouder of Dimitri, either, the king was showing progress, he was returning to his old self at last.

Claude had been taking notes of the little changes he saw in Dimitri since he had arrived here, in a tattered notepad that was used more for notes on poison than the recovery of a somewhat insane dragon. The last three weeks had been the most impressive, Claude remembered being more than a little giddy about writing down what had happened. By the start of the second week, Dimitri no longer had any venom in his snappy remarks whenever Claude left and came back, the threats of gutting him alive, or tearing off his scales and horns had ceased as well. The Tuesday of the third week, Claude had nearly burst into tears when Dimitri had muttered a quiet, but sincere “Welcome back.” 

Dimitri had made his most impressive step towards recovery when he no longer sulked into a corner of the Goddess Tower to sleep, when the two finished eating that night, Dimitri had grunted out a slurred, sleepy good night and curled up right there. Yeah, his back was to Claude, but Claude had to stop himself from dancing in joy.

Dimitri trusted him enough to sleep right next to him.

Memories of sleeping together after a rough day of classes flooded back, Claude falling asleep to the happy memories he had so happily reminisced with in the past five years.

Week five wasn’t as exciting, but Claude had come back from a trip back to base camp to find Dimitri waiting for him, a freshly caught boar at his feet. Dimitri had gotten up off his lazy bum and hunted for them. He didn’t hunt for another dragon, or those disgusting rats that crawled in the shadows much like the king had.

“I thought we could share.”

Claude beamed, wings twitching. “Of course, thank you for thinking of me!”

Claude had never tasted a boar so good.

Week 6 is when Dimitri seemed to take a leap of faith. 

Claude had been ready to fly back to base camp after brunch, Dimitri having turned to walk down the stairwell before he heard the king grunt. Claude looked over, Dimitri was looking back at him, eye narrowed, but no anger visible in the icy blue.

“Where are you going?”

“Back to the others.” Claude chirped. He had only told Dimitri that the house students had reunited, and assured him that the Flame Emperor (he avoided saying her name, fearfully that all the progress would’ve been for nothing) wasn’t with them. Dimitri had been on edge afterwards, looking to the skies, or down to the courtyard, as if expecting the students to come to the ruins of the academy looking for the fallen king. However, it didn’t take long for him to relax and forget about the worry all together. There still had to be apart of him that loved and trusted his fellow students, Blue Lions or not.

Dimitri was silent for a moment before he motioned toward the stairwell with his wing. “Come on, you’re coming with me.”

Claude’s ears perked up, his wings folding back into his body. “W… What?”

“I won’t repeat myself, come on.” Dimitri waited for Claude to cautiously make his way over, the hybrid starting to go down the stairs, claws clicking as they found purchase on the worn out stone. 

This was a first, a very, very important first, if Claude thought. Dimitri had never invited him outside of the Goddess Tower, Claude knew that if he tried to snoop around, Dimitri would scent him and that trust they had built for each other would shatter. The fact Dimitri was letting him join him on what Claude assumed were his daily rounds only made Claude’s abdomen fill up with tons of butterflies. 

The Sandwing followed him all the way down to the courtyard, working up the courage to ask a question. “What are we going to do?”

If Dimitri had heard him, he made no effort to show it. The king brought them towards the large pond in the castle courtyard, the king yawning as he stretched, arching his back down and stretching every one of his claws slowly, tail curling above his back. Claude chuckled, and decided to do the same, shaking out his back legs and unfurling his wings, letting them catch on the late fall sunbeams. 

With a low keen, Claude stood up again, giving himself a little shake as Dimitri rolled his shoulders, his dew claws stretching on his wings as well.

“Feeling less sleepy?” Claude teased.

Dimitri snorted, not in an angry way, just a mildly annoyed one. Seeing as how Dimitri rarely spoke, Claude had learned to tell them apart, the Almyran becoming a master of Dimitri’s unspoken language. 

The two walked out to the dock, Claude looking into the water, if anything had remained pure over the years of war and chaos, it had probably been this. Claude could only assume Dimitri was careful to keep his only source of fresh water clean and free of decaying corpses, even a feral dragon wanted water, more-so a Seawing. 

“Getting a drink-” Claude didn’t get to finish his sentence as Dimitri launched himself into the water, Claude yelping as water splashed all over him, his fins drooping as they soaked it up, covering one of his eyes. “DIMA-”

Claude’s anger melted away as he heard a hoarse, deep laugh fill the chilly autumn air. The Sandwing looked down to see Dimtiri  _ laughing,  _ the king’s head was poking out of the water, wings floating above the water and tail lazily swishing in the water. His eye screwed shut, mouth curved into a smile. Claude couldn’t believe his ears or eyes at first, Dimitri was fucking laughing. A genuine, not maniacal laugh that suddenly made Claude feel hot in his scales, made those damned butterflies come back to invade his chest, and then he was laughing too. Claude doubled over with a snort, collapsing onto the dock with a wheeze, wings flopped over on either side of him, dew claws skimming the water.

They both finally wheezed weakly for air, Claude smiling happily as he curled up on the dock, trying to make his fins stand up straight against his skull again. “You ruined my fins.” He huffed, pouting.

“They’ll dry.” Dimitri grunted. 

“Yeah, in like, a day! I look ridiculous!” 

“You always look ridiculous.”

“Hey!”

Dimitri chuckled, turning away and dipping into the water. Claude brushed his fins out of the way, looking around for one of the rods nearby, hopefully the looters that had used to come here before haven't taken them all. Claude remembered looking over most of the school when he first came here, searching for Dimitri, and sadly noting a lot of valuable art, sculptures, and more were gone, shattered or torn to pieces. He always vaguely wondered if the destroyed art had been Dimitri’s doing, in one of his mad crazes, but never brought it up. That was a conversation for another time. 

Before he could turn around to look in the fishing shack, Dimitri surfaced, dropping something on the docks. He heard the king shake himself, Claude frowning as droplets of water hit his already soaked scales.

Claude turned to see a pile of fish on the docks, Dimitri shoving them away from the edge as they twitched, still gasping from the lack of water. “Whoa!”

Claude hurried over, sinking his claws into them to stop their flopping, Dimitri floating in the water watching much like a crocodile would. “Dima, this is great, it’s fresh fish!”

“It’s almost winter, I know the Alliance isn’t growing crops or fishing anymore.” Dimitri grunted. “I heard you grumbling on and on one night about how the Alliance can’t keep straining its resources with winter coming.”

“You heard me?” Claude whispered, eyes wide.

“You talk very loudly.” Dimitri snorted.

Claude sniffed, ignoring the would be insult, looking down at the fish. “Thank you. For even worrying about me, or the Alliance even.”

“You’ve helped me. I should return the favor.”

Claude smiled, “Are there any more?”

“One big one. Should I get it?”

“Yeah, leave the rest, these fish breed like crazy anyway.” Dimitri nodded, disappearing back into the water as Claude went back towards the fishing shack to look for a basket to put the food in.

The shacks magic torches weren’t lit, Claude snorting out a plume of flame to illuminate the room somewhat. He let out a strangled cry before his breath was suddenly knocked out of him, the Sandwing having spotted the dragon in the shack a second too late. Something large had slammed into him, Claude rolling on the ground as he was shoved back outside, a sharp pain on his shoulder making him wail. “AGH!”

He kicked out his back legs, a grunt from above him and a weight lifting off him letting him know the attacker was off him, Claude stumbling onto his feet, wincing as he tried to put as little weight on that shoulder. 

“Bastard is putting up a fight!” Claude spotted a Mudwing, it’s belly clawed, maw dripping blood from where he had bit Claude’s shoulder.

“Well?! Kill him then!” An Icewing flew down to stand beside the brute, slapping him upside the head. “He’s just one Sandwing! Supposed ghost of Garreg Mach, I could take him with my eyes closed!”

“Oh yeah, then do it boss!” Another Sandwing. Not good.

“Yeah boss!” A scrawny looking Nightwing joined them, bones visible from under its scales.

Bandits.

Fucking great.

“Attacking the Alliance’s leader? You must be missing a few brain cells, huh?” Claude chuckled, curling his tail. Four against one, and there was a Nightwing with them too. One wrong move and Claude could end up with a rotting bite, crushed skull, frozen body or poisoned cut. Not good.

“What did you say?!” 

“That’s the Alliance’s leader?” The Nightwing croaked. “He’s a mutt! Look at his horns!”

“Oh yeah! You’re right! He’s Almyran!” The Mudwing bellowed, Claude stiffening. They spotted his horns? In the name of the Goddess, HOW?!

Wait. Claude grumbled a curse, looking at the Sandwing in front of him, her horns were a pearly white, beige at the tips, his were a pure black, exactly like a Hivewing’s. All of Fodlan knew Hivewings were Almyran.

“Filthy Hivewing mutt!” The Sandwing sneered. “What are you going to do, Hive Mind me? Oh! So scary!”

The four cackled as Claude growled lowly, crouching low, claws digging into the dirt. 

“Oh please, what are you going to do, stab me?” The Icewing hissed.

“I bet you don’t even have any poison!” The Sandwing added, her tail curling upward, stinger protruding from its sheath. “Come at me, oh great and powerful Alliance leader! Show me what a stupid mutt like you’s got!” 

Claude’s ears swiveled forward, he heard the splash from behind them, the four dragons unaware of the noise it seemed. Claude’s eyes narrowed, his face unable to hide its smirk. 

“What are you smiling about?!” The Nightwing snarled.

“Oh, just thinking.” Claude purred slyly. 

“About what.” The Icewing hissed, serrated claws scratching against cobblestone.

“About how you’re about to die!” Claude roared, launching himself at the Icewing as Dimitri cannoned into the Mudwing with a terrifying roar, the bandits screaming as they were ambushed.   
“Holy shit, that thing is huge!” The Sandwing screeched.

Claude’s jaws snapped close around the Icewing’s shoulder, the Almyran clawing at his underbelly as he wailed. He felt the rush of cold travelling up his opponent’s chest, Claude kicking himself off him and blasting him with a shot of fire, the Icewing screaming in pain. 

“Can’t ice me if you’re too hot, bastard!” Claude snapped, rushing the dazed dragon and raking his claws down his sides, blue blood staining the ground. He yelped as the pale white dragon bit his tail, Claude snarling and rearing on his front legs, bucking his back ones straight into the dragon’s jaw, hearing a deafening crack and broken scream.

Claude whirled around, noticing the dragon’s bottom jaw was lopsided and a long slash decorated his throat, having effectively severed the jugular artery by how much the poor bastard was bleeding. The Icewing trying to scream but only blood gurgled around it’s mouth. Claude had broken his jaw, the bone jutting out awkwardly from the white scales, staining his entire mouth blue.

Claude knew this dragon wouldn’t be able to blast him with ice breath anymore, let alone attempt to fight him at all, so he scrambled away to help Dimitri, the colossal dragon taking on all three of the other bandits by himself, Goddess forbid Claude have to watch his estranged lover die from a Sandwing’s sting.

The worry was quickly silenced though.

He heard a screech of agony as Dimitri tore himself away from the pile of scales, wings, and talons, a full tail in his mouth, the unmistakable bard of a Sandwing on the end. He spat it out like one would a foul taste, the king snarling, teeth stained red.

“MY TAIL! MY TAIL!” The Sandwing screaming in a panic, the other two looking at her in horror as blood spurted from the wound, the stone beneath her turning red.

“Goddess above!” The Mudwing hissed.

“This is a lost cause!” The Nightwing snapped. 

Before they could take off both of house leaders tackled one of them, Dimitri taking the Mudwing, Claude the Nightwing. Claude avoided a swipe to his eyes, biting the Nightwing’s snout and tugging on it, only a hard shove from the dragon’s wings prying him off, the taste of iron stinging his tongue. 

“Street mutt!” The Nightwing hissed. “All of you Hivewings are rats!”  
“Say that to my face!” Claude roared, headbutting the dragon’s chest, both tumbled onto the ground, Claude shoving his face into the ground. He noticed the earring in his ear suddenly, and he saw it, the unmistakable plated rubies and gold, in the shape of two headed eagle.

The Empire insignia. 

Claude’s shock left him open, the Nightwing kicking him off, and beginning to charge a blast of fire, his underbelly glowing a bright orange. The Sandwing kicked off into the air quickly, the blast hitting the dragon’s two companions instead, the Sandwing screeching in agony as she was set ablaze, the Mudwing’s scales only glowing a dull red at the heat hit him.

Claude watched in horror as her screams faded into a quiet whimper and she collapsed, no longer moving as the flames died down, the two looking at the body of their companion in horror. Dimitri took that as a chance to get his jaws around the Mudwing’s neck, the large dragon trying his best to shake the king off before Dimitri flicked his head to the right, the familiar snap of a neck filling the air before the Mudwing fell to the ground as well, Dimitri spitting out blood.

The Nightwing gulped as Dimitri and Claude looked at him, whirling around and ready to get the hell out of there, but the bandit was underneath Claude’s talons before he could even spread his wings.

“Who sent you!?” Claude demanded, holding the squirming body down as snarled. “Answer me, rat! You have an earring with the insignia of the Empire! Tell me who hired you to come here!”

“I’ll never snitch!” The Nightwing hissed, Claude slamming his head down into the stone. 

“You tell me or I let my friend here eat you!” Dimitri snarling his agreement.

The Nightwing hissed, eyes glimmering, as if he were considering the offer, his struggles ceasing. Claude growled lowly, the tension didn’t leave the air, something was wrong. Dimitri tensed behind him, snarling lowly before he roared, shoving Claude out of the way as something zipped past his ear. 

Claude was being held in one of Dimitri’s arms, close to his chest, Dimitri’s wings flaring, stance ready to attack had it not been for the fully grown dragon occupying his arm. Claude saw an arrow, a brilliant glimmering red in color, lodged in the Nightwing’s skull, the dragon’s tongue lolling out of his mouth, blood pooling underneath him.

Claude panted, pulling on Dimitri’s arm but the king only snarled, pulling him closer. What was this big oaf protecting him from-?

“Well, how troublesome, I had hoped to take out two annoying birds with a very effective stone.”

Claude flinched, eyes wide. Dimitri roared, shifting his feet as he followed the king’s gaze to a pillar nearby. Claude felt the color drain from his face, now understanding why Dimitri was protecting him. Anger was replaced by fear.

Sitting atop the pillar, poised like a cat, tail curled around the pillar’s trunk-

-Was Hubert von Vestra. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Before anyone starts screaming at me, I'm already writing Chapter 5, don't worry, don't kill me-  
As always, all your love is appreciated, y'all make me sleep a little sounder at night, I love y'all <3


	5. I Look to You.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Edge of Dawn came on as I was writing so uwu
> 
> Shorter chapter to prepare for Chapter 6 OHO

“So.” Claude felt a growl build up in his throat as the lean Nightwing spoke, snout up as he looked up at them from the side, amber eye narrowed. How much Claude wanted to leap up there and claw that know it all look off his dumb face. “This is where you’ve been hunkered down, your Highness.”

Claude felt Dimitri put him down, the larger dragon shielding him, his body protecting him. Claude reached for Dimitri’s wrist, squeezing it, reminding Dimitri he was here. The snarl from above died down into a growl, but Dimitri’s stance didn’t change. “What are you doing here, Hubert.”

Not a question, a demand.

Dimitri isn’t playing games.

Hubert took to looking at one of his talons, inspecting each finger, the limb suddenly more interesting than the dragons beneath him. “Lady Edelgard sent me here to investigate. The Empire received reports of a ‘ghost’ haunting Garreg Mach. Once I found it was just Dimitri I hired some imperial soldiers to clean up. I would rather not get my claws dirty if need be, you see. Obviously my money would’ve been better spent elsewhere.”

Hubert huffed as his tail flicked, looking down at the four bodies between him, the Alliance leader, and Holy Kingdom’s lost king. Was that anger? Disappointment? Claude couldn’t pinpoint what he was feeling but whatever it was it looked like it was eating away at him.

Claude glanced back at the magic arrow still lodged into the dead dragon’s head, then back at the Nightwing. That’s right, Goddess dammit all, Hubert was an Animus. Claude’s whole strategy did a 180, trying to figure out how to fight this asshole without dying. Animus dragons could use magic, but their spells had to be verbal, and depending on the size and complication of the spell it would drain on them heavily. Everyone knew the more magic an Animus used the more of their soul they lost. Goddess, could that be it? That emotion? A fear of being a husk of a dragon, a crazed puppet?

Claude shook his head furiously. Not the time Riegan. Figure out how to kill him, not his psychological issues.

Hubert seemed to have caught on to what Claude was thinking though, letting out a snort of annoyance. “Oh please, if I wanted to kill you, you would already be dead.” He said bluntly. “I don’t play games. Well, not here at least.”

Claude tensed as he spread his wings, the pitch black dragon snorting, eyeing him with interest.

“You could join us.” Claude wheezed. “I’m sure Ferdinand would love to have you by his side again.”

Hubert froze, and Claude watched his gaze go far away. Reminiscing on what could’ve been? Claude suddenly felt bad for all the teasing he had made him endure during their academy days.

“Tell Ferdinand I miss him.” He churred thoughtlessly, turning away from them. “Know that Lady Edelgard sends her regards.”

He launched himself into the air, disappearing into the afternoon sky, a speck of black in the horizon. 

Claude let out a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding in, the Sandwing slumping to the ground, lying flat on his stomach, Dimitri sitting on his haunches above him, careful to not squish Claude. Goddess above, he felt like he was having a stroke.

“She knows we’re here.” Claude whispered quietly, his snout in his talons, blue and red blood still stained them, but he could care less. “She’s waiting.”

Dimitri’s chest rumbled, Claude not hearing what he said. “I’m sorry, Dima.”

“What for?” Dimitri snorted.

“Had I not found you, maybe Edelgard wouldn’t have either. I put you in danger. This wouldn’t have happened.”

Claude feels the snarl deep in Dimitri at the mention of the Empress’ name, but Claude could care less, only snapping out of his thoughts when he feels teeth around his horns, pulling him onto his feet forcibly.

“Ow, ow! Dima-?!” 

“No moping. I won’t let you become a sorry lump of scales when there’s work to be done. Come on.”

“What?”

Claude looked up at him, Dimitri snorting out smoke, eyes narrowed. “We have an Empire to destroy.”

Claude’s eyes widened, and he grunted as he was shoved forward, Dimitri limping forward, steps slow and heavy. “Let’s get your wounds tended to.”

Dimitri moved forward, tail dragging on the ground as Claude followed him, wincing as a sharp pain made him stop, panting. He whined as he looked up, and he felt like roots had grabbed his feet and held him there.

Claude was frozen in place, he was awe-struck, his wings flopped lazily on the ground beside him as he looked at Dimitri. He felt like his heart had stopped beating, had it stopped beating? He felt nothing in his chest, not even the usual hammering he felt whenever he looked at Dimitri. Was he dead? Is this what death felt like?

No. 

Dimitri stood straight, tall, no longer hunched,the pain and the hurt no longer like an aura around him, no longer damaged. His head was held high, wings tucked neatly against his body. He was injured, but that did little to hamper the image in front of him. The past and present seemed to intermingle, he remembers a younger Dimitri, just like this, after the Blue Lions had won their first mock battle, before the war, the pain, the fear. 

Before they lost each other.

The Dimitri from then held a light in his eyes, one that made Claude blush, made him feel like a puddle when them and a smile were directed at him. 

Now, that same Dimitri was before him, taller, his shoulders broader, his scars, mental and physical littering his body and his mind. Claude knew it wasn’t so easy to erase the trauma, the memories of what had happened in their five years apart, it would forever be present, even if only a small, whispering voice in Dimitri’s memories. Claude saw the glimmer in the king’s icy blues as they met his emerald green, the smile tugging on his snout, a little strained due to the pain, but like white against darkness. Like the white moon to his golden sun.

Dimitri was back. 

His Dimitri was back.

Dimitri, Dimitri, Dimtiri-

Claude barreled into him, the two falling onto the ground as Claude buried his head into Dimitri’s chest, crying. He let real, hot tears escape him as he held Dimitri close, let his wings drape over them, let their tails twine and let Dimitri’s snout press against his forehead gently. He heard the larger dragon coo lowly, his chest vibrating underneath Claude, Claude not hearing the faint words he said into his ear, soft, warm, it made Claude want to cry all over again. He didn’t want to let go, Serios, please, don’t make him let go.

“Don’t cry.” Dimitri muttered softly, Claude let him find his talons, let Dimitri, Goddess bless him, hold his talons and give them a gentle squeeze. Reassuring, comforting and warm when everything else had seemed hard and cold. 

“You have given me every reason to cry, idiot.” He chuckled, voice shaking, Claude melting into his embrace as he felt his chest rumble. Was he always this warm, had it always felt this natural to be this close to him?

“I’m sorry.” Dimitri whispered, quiet, voice fragile. Claude wanted so much to make that go away, to make him feel strong, to be his rock, his everything, Goddess let them live long enough for that to happen, let him be Dimitri’s everything for the rest of time. “For leaving you alone for so long, for doing what I did. My actions are inexcusable, I can never apologize enough for what I did-”

“I forgive you,” Claude murmured. “Goddess strike me down if I’m lying, I forgive you.” Claude almost sobbed, his grip around Dimitri’s talon tightening, the larger dragon returning the gesture. 

“I missed you so much. I-I missed you…” Claude heaved.

Dimitri nuzzled his face, Claude purring lowly, sniffing as he was comforted. Serios, how he missed being held like this. 

“Come on, we need to tend to you injuries before they get infected.” 

Claude nodded, sniffing as Dimitri helped him onto his feet, letting him lean on him as he lead him back towards the cathedral. He didn’t want to move away from him, he pressed as close as he could without hurting himself or Dimitri.

“Wait, what are we-”

“I keep herbs here, They grow on the ground and the walls throughout the seasons.”

Dimitri nudged Claude to sit down, Claude wincing at his shoulder wound as Dimitri went to find herbs, Claude pulling his satchel towards his chest and taking out some bandages. Dimitri came back moments later, herbs in his mouth as he settled beside Claude.

They sat like that in silence for what felt like hours before Dimitri drew an exhausted Claude in with his wing, pressing him close to his chest. It was dark now, the sky above littered with stars, the moon thin as a claw in the canvas of the night. The Sandwing let out a soft sigh, nestled closer to him, letting Dimitri nudge him into lying down, Claude whimpering before the king settled beside him, stretching his back legs so they wouldn’t be crushed under his body.

“I’m not going anywhere.” Dimitri chuckled softly.

“Mhm…” Claude yawned.

He rested his head on Dimitri’s talons, purring once more as Dimitri rested his head behind his own. The weight behind his head felt amazing, he missed this so much, physical contact, another dragon’s touch.

No…

He missed  _ Dimitri’s _ touch. His Dimitri’s touch. No one else's.

Claude smiled, closing his eyes, Dimitri letting out a content sigh, shifting a bit but settling quickly, Claude already snoring softly.

It had been a long day.

\---

“Alright guys, here’s Dimitri.”

The students were crowded behind him, Dimitri having promised to wait in the courtyard for Claude to come back. Everyone was in silent shock as they looked up at what had once been a dead dragon to them all, unmoving. Goddess above this was awkward, Claude felt like he had ants in his scarf.

Bless the Goddess for the angel known as Annette.

“Dimitri!” Annette squealed suddenly, Dimitri laughing as the tiny dragoness rushed to him, hugging him, wings trying to wrap around him but barely getting around his haunches. Claude laughed as everyone quickly followed, Dimitri yelping as he was engulfed by dragons either much smaller or bigger than he was. It was a sight that would be burned into Claude’s memories.

And be used for teasing later in their lives, for sure.

“You’re going to suffocate him, Felix!” Ingrid yelped. 

“That’s the plan.”

“We just got him back, don’t go killing him again!” Hilda hissed, whacking Felix.

Claude rolled his eyes, watching Dimitri reunite with his house members, with the other students who had missed him just as much as Claude had at first, it filled his heart, gave him hope.

Let Edelgard come.

They were stronger than she could ever dream of.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All the sappy, lovey dovey songs I have on spotify came on as I was writing and I felt attacked


	6. I Am Not a Beast, I'm Not a Monster

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I love you all, this long chapter is for you, muwah <3

Claude had his talons full, now that everyone was reunited. The awaited reunion date was closing in on them, they had a month and a half to get ready for Edelgard and her army. The Golden Deer, the Blue Lions and the Black Eagles had to be ready to fight for their very lives in a month and a half.

This was going to be a hell of a battle.

Dimitri didn’t have much time to catch up with his former classmates in a normal, more expected way, no, he let his actions speak for him. Felix was caught off guard by the king’s strength, ending up pinned beneath him and snorting out his reluctant approval at his sparring partner having gotten stronger. Sylvain by his quickness, the hybrid Magrave knocked off his fee byt a swipe to his legs he hadn’t been expecting, brushing off the beating he had gotten with a laugh and an eagerness to learn what Dimitri had done to get so light on his talons. And finally Ingrid by his cunning, the Skywing nobel ending the spar with a face full of dirt after the king had burst out of the shadows, gracefully admitting defeat and bombaring her friend with questions on how she could learn to do that.    


Claude had to admit, the years alone in Garreg Mach had not dulled Dimitri’s senses, or his skill as a fighter. He had experienced the strength, the speed, the cunning all first talon, it always made him smile when Dimitri caught someone he would train with off guard.

Claude felt a swell of pride whenever he saw it happen, Goddess he was in love.

Claude couldn’t get distracted by his lovely partner though, he had his own housemates to help, besides, he and Dimitri helped the Black Eagles together, what with them not having their leader or her second in command. He wouldn’t miss him for very long most days, anyway.

“Aim higher Lysethia,” Claude barked as he walked by the Icewing, her wings twitching in anger. “We want to be dislocating shoulders, not busting kneecaps!” 

“I’ll bust YOUR kneecaps!” She roared, her crown of spikes rattling in anger as she slammed her talons on the ground, a blast of energy shattering the training dummy a good dozen feet away, one of her crest’s (it looked like Charon to him) glowing on the ground faintly before she looked over at him. He grinned as she snorted an angry mist of frost. “That was you. Those were your kneecaps.”

“Noted.” Claude said with a chuckle, padding off and leaving her to her practice. He froze as Lorenz raced past him with a yell, Marianne blushing like crazy as she raced after him, hissing loudly.

Claude rolled his eyes, knowing Lorenz he probably said something he immediately regreted, and now he was going to get his ass kicked, He chuckled as he reached Hilda, the dragoness looking at her talons as his hips hit against Hilda’s, making her jump and squeak in surprise. The Rainwing glared at him as he started walking away, hissing and whacking the back of his head with her tail, making him yelp. “Asshole!”

“I need you to patrol the perimeter, get some exercise, spread those wings.”

“You’re one to talk! I don’t see you going out to fly!” Hilda huffed.

“My shoulder hurts like hell! Would you like to see what it’s like to be in agony?”

Hilda stuck her tongue out at him, shoving him playfully as she rushed off, tail flicking in irritation. 

“Take Leonie and Lorenz with you!” Claude called after her. “I can’t let Marianne kill the poor bastard just yet!”

“Hmph!”

He shook his head, smiling as he saw her take off into the air to look for the two dragons, the Sandwing looked over to Raphael and Ignatz sparring, the Rainwing on the Mudwing’s back, trying not to get shaken off by the larger dragon as he squealed. Ignatz relied a lot on his acid, so his best friend was helping him learn how to use his small size to his advantage, Ignatz ducking and quickly avoiding what could be dangerous blows could prove life-saving in battle.

“Just like that! Nice, Ignatz!”

“T-Thank you! Now get me off!”

Claude smiled before looking over at where the Blue Lions were, Dimitri was talking quietly with Ashe, the dusty scales of the Sandwing a sharp contrast to Dimitri’s abyss blue. He knew what they were talking about. It still hurt  _ him _ to think about it.

Ashe had learned from Dimitri that Dedue was dead, having sacrificed himself to save his king from execution. The heartbroken wail that had ripped through the cathedral shortly after reuniting a sharp reminder of the horrors of war. Claude had been lucky that Dimitri was still alive after everything that had happened to him, the Almyran didn’t take that fact for granted after everything he’s seen and experienced.

Ashe had not.

Ashe wasn’t eating, he wasn’t sleeping, Claude was sure he hadn’t even tried to groom himself since finding out the news. He looked like he was ready to fall over and give up. Dimitri had heard of it somehow, or put two and two together and confronted him about it. If anyone knew grief, it was Dimitri. The Almyran was sure that the king didn’t want Ashe to suffer just like he had.

Claude saw the king give Ashe a reassuring nudge, Ashe sniffing, wings pressed close to him as Dimitri hugged him, the Sandwing returning the gesture before he went back to training, Annette scurrying over to get him to help her train her magic.

“Is he doing okay?” Claude asked, sitting down next to Dimitri. 

“He’s grieving, they were very close.” Dimitri grunted, “I have no doubts that he will grieve until the end of his days.”

Claude frowned, “We’ll do our best to make this easier for him.”

Dimitri nodded, “You up for a spar?” Claude asked, ears perked.

“Challenging me?” Dimitri grunted, brow raised.

“You say that as if you think I’ll lose!” Claude said with a grin.

“Your Highness!” 

The two dragons looked over, Ingrid racing over, Felix behind her. The Skywing’s eyes wide, Felix panting behind her. 

“What is it? What’s wrong?” 

Ingrid just nodded towards the gardens, and raced back, as if knowing Claude and Dimitri would follow her, and they did. The two leaders skidded to a halt in the gardens, Ingrid and Felix taking up positions behind their lord.

In the gardens were a large group of dragons, it had to be at least eight, and Goddess dammit why did one of them have to be  _ her _ . Claude was slowly backing away before he flinched, the dragoness spotting him and beaming.

“BOY!” The Hivewing exclaimed, letting out a loud laugh as she rushed over, grabbing Claude and pulling him into a chokehold, letting out wheezy churs as he struggled in her arms. 

“Judith! Lemme go, we’re in public!”

“Oh no, you’re not getting out of this one so easily. You good for nothing son of a landwyrm! I’ve been looking up and down for you!” She snapped, “Why couldn’t Sothis bless me with a more obedient godson.”

“Judith!” He whined, finally scrambling away from her hold, shaking himself. “I told you where I was going! Hells, all of the Alliance should’ve known!”

“Oh, they knew! And so did the whole of Almyra!” She hissed. “News spread faster than the dark in Fodlan’s Throat! The Kingdom’s in shambles, and YOU haven’t been there to come clean it up, mister!” 

Claude ran his talons down his face, groaning. “I said I’d be back once the Empire was overthrown.”

“You don’t have time to go have a tea party with Ms. Burn Your Face Off!” Judith roared, a buzz filling the air, the Hivewing in him  _ screaming  _ its protest. “Boy, your father is DYING, you need to formally ascend the throne before someone decides to do it for you!”

“Ascend the throne?” Dimitri echoed, dumbfounded. “Claude, what is she talking about?”

“Whose this?” Judith snorted, eyes narrowed. 

“Dimitri. Please don’t impale him, PLEASE.” Claude pleaded, Ingrid and Felix snarling behind the king. “Can I breathe for TWO MINUTES and put everything together?”

Judith huffed, the Hivewing finally giving him space, the other dragons having come together. Claude finally recognizing a good deal of them, stood a little straighter, clearing his throat. “Um… Welcome home?”

Cyril, the scrappy half Skywing, half Hivewing, an ‘Almyran mutt’ like Claude stepped forward. He had grown a considerable amount, and compared to Claude he showed more Hivewing than he did, the stripes like those of a hornet’s running down his body, a nub of a horn resting between his eyes and horns that curved upward instead of down. “What… Happened here?”

“I would like to ask the same thing.” Seteth stepped forward, Flayn right behind him, the green-black Nightwings an odd sight against the others. Well, odder than usual what with Seteth being huge, even bigger than Dimitri. “This place is in ruins.”

“Thank the boar.” Felix huffed.

“Did five years really tear this place apart?” Flayn whispered, wings drooped, green eyes scanning the monastery behind Claude. “Time had truly been cruel.”

Claude swallowed what felt like a rock, shuffling awkwardly on his feet. “It could really be worse.”

“If you ask me this place looks just as bad as it did when we worked here.” Manuela. The Icewing’s voice like crystals in a cavern as she looked around in disgust. Claude was happy to see that despite the war she looked as pristine as she had when he was a student. The medic must’ve been really lucky or really lazy to not have been scarred by the war. “I hope the wine cellar is still intact.” The dragoness yelped as Hanneman whacked her with his tail, the two beginning to bicker, headbutting each other as Seteth simply moved Flayn away from the two and covered her ears with his talons, Cyril awkwardly shuffling away.

Felix and Ingrid both glared at Dimitri at the mention of the wine cellar, Dimitri looking away in embarrassment. Images of shattered bottles and talon prints stained by wine filled Claude’s mind. Dimitri had either been very angry, very drunk or a bit of both to have left the wine cellar like  _ that _ .

“About that.” Claude chuckled. 

Claude turned to look at the last two, one was a heavy built Sandwing, literally what every young Sandwing wished they could look like. He wore armour, an oddity for those who weren’t knights, like Ingrid or Ashe. Claude was stumpted, he had no fucking clue who this dragon was or why he was-

“Gilbert!” Dimitri yelped, rushing past Claude and going up to him, the Sandwing chuckling as his king gave him a rough headbutt against the shoulder.

“It is good to see you are well again, milord.” The Sandwing rumbled, Dimitri smiling. 

“ _ Whomst??? _ ” Claude whimpered out, Dimitri laughing as Claude grumbled, rubbing at his temples. He was lucky he was so fucking cute when he laughed.

“Claude, this is Gilbert, Annette’s father. He’s been in the service of the Blaiddyd family since my father was my age.” Dimitri cooed, the Sandwing beside him bowing. 

“A pleasure to meet you, your Highness.”

“Oh, you don’t have to call me that-”

“Yes he does, you’re a king-to-be-” Judith started.

“Will you let me finish?! Goddess above.” Claude sighed. “As I was saying, you don’t have to call me that, not yet, anyways.”

“Understood.”

Only one dragon remained, an Icewing, his wings were an oddity, a deep inigo at the tips that faded back into white near his dew claws. Now that Claude thought about it, if he squinted he kind of looked like-

“Felix!” The dragon churred, “My son!”

“Father.” Felix spat, venom dripping from his voice. His father seemed unphased at least. 

Dear Serios, Claude needed some tea and a nap.

“We should take this inside.” Cyril piped up, “It’s about to rain.”

“How do you know?” Hanneman asked, brow furrowed. 

_ BOOM _

Claude let out a roar of frustration as it started  _ pouring _ , the Almyran storming into the Cathedral, every other dragon outside doing the same (even if Claude didn’t fail to notice that Dimitri and Hanneman lingered in the rain for a bit).

\---

The students and facility (as well as parents) had started a fire, the Seawings of the group having gone out to hunt in the rain since unlike Claude, who very much hated water and didn’t want to be anywhere near it if he could help, they thrived in the wet and the mud and the EW.

Dimitri had settled beside him once he had dried off, Claude resting his head on Dimitri’s shoulder, sighing heavily. 

“Poison barbs?”

“No.”

“Oh, oh, that awful stench then, I hate that stuff!”

“N-No?”

“AGH.” Judith shoved another angry mouthful of bear into her maw, bone snapping under her teeth as Cyril chuckled nervously. She had spent the last hour or so asking every hybrid in the room if they had powers. Animus powers, breed powers, it was driving Claude up the wall and he wanted to stuff cotton in his ears after so long. “Hybrids. It’s all or nothing with you lot.”

“Sorry my lovely sperm donor of a father didn’t pass down any of the good stuff.” Claude huffed, Dimitri choking on the meat he was eating and whacking Claude’s head. “OW-”

“Oh, you do have something.” His godmother said, voice muffled from the food in her mouth. “You got that Hive Mind whatchama-call it.”

“The Hive oh what now.”

“What books have you been reading boy?!”

“Obviously not the right ones? I’ve never heard of the Hive Mind!”

“All Almyran royalty has it! It’s like the Vestra’s holy, sacred Animus genes! Every dragonet of the royal bloodline is born with it!” Judith spat. “You could control of Almyra with a snap of your talons!”

“I don’t think that’d be very pleasant.” Claude admitted, grimacing.

“It’s only used in emergencies, usually to pass important information to the whole of the country in comparison to sending out a message on paper.” Judith swallowed. “Your father only used it twice while he was king, both times fairly recently too.”

“He did?”

“Once to announce the war in Fodlan, another to reveal you as his son and that he was dying.”

“How come  _ I _ never got that message?”

“I don’t know! I thought you had!” Judith roared. 

Claude sighed again, “Goddess, this feels unreal. Too much is going on.”

“You could say that again.” Manuela snarled, rubbing at the bump on the back of her neck beside Hanneman, the Seawing beside her flashing his luminescent scales in what Claude assumed was Aquatic for every swear word known to dragon kind.

“If my reports are correct, the Empire is already marching.” Seteth said, Flayn having fallen asleep against him, wings draped over her small body, one of Seteth’s over her. “A large number of Skywings, Icewings and Silkwings are marching here.”

Petra growled from where she was, Claude doing the same. Silkwings were from Brigid, Edelgard dared to drag them into this, a fight that wasn’t theirs. The Empress must either be very stupid or very desperate for troops, because Claude knew Petra would convince the Silkwings to fight for them the moment she announced it on the battlefield. 

“Gronder Field is going to be a bloodbath.” Ferdinand whispered, curling up tighter, his tail flicking. “Edelgard has everyone who opposes her in one place, we’ve played right into her talons.”

“She isn’t going to win.” Hilda snorted. “She’s going to meet a slow, painful death, be it from my claws or my fangs, or my acid! I’d pay money to spit on her and watch her melt!” 

“Gross.”

“Be as hopeful and optimistic as you want.” Judith hissed. “You aren’t going to win this fight just by willing it so. The powers of friendship and harmony and peace are bullshit. This is war and you aren’t going to win it unless you’re ready to get your claws dirty.”

The Hivewing torn into another scrap of meat. “Tell me boy, do you have backup or are you planning on taking Edelbitch and her whole army with just 30 or so dragons?”

“The Alliance is already moving here, oh great and wise godmother.” Claude assured her. “We’re at least 300 strong. Sandwings, Mudwings, every kind of dragon wants Edelgard out of power, one way or another.”

“The Kingdom has been nursing a rebellion for years, thinking their king was dead only fueled their fire.” Gilbert huffed. “I wouldn’t be surprised if they came here at the news of Edelgard being present alone.”

“We made sure to bring at least 600 dragons into this. The Kingdom will not be crushed by iron claws so easily.” Felix hissed, claws flexing. “Gautier actually put his skills to use for once. Every Nightwing, Seawing, and Mudwing whose tired of Edelgard is on their way here to beat the shit out of the Empire.”

“You flatter me.” Sylvain laughed. “I only sweet-talked a  _ few  _ politicians into joining us and our little campaign.”

Claude smiled, 900 dragons? That was pretty impressive, he couldn’t wait to see the look on Edelgard’s face, knowing that she had underestimated them. If anyone was playing into someone’s claws, it was Edelgard into theirs.

“I hope you are right about this.” Seteth sighed, tense. “But know that we stand by you.”

“We all do.” Gilbert added.

“Thank you.” Dimitri rumbled from beside Claude. “All of you.”

They nodded, all the students letting out snorts of approval.

Gronder Field would be the beginning of the end.

\---

The field was immense, the brown grass underneath Claude’s claws was being torn up and out of the dirt as he flexed his claws. Dimitri stood tense beside him, every exhale leaving behind a cloud of mist as he breathed.

In the distance, in the hills, was a sea of red, white, and specks of colors Claude didn’t even know existed. The strategy for this kept playing over and over again in his head, trying to distract himself from the impending sense of doom he felt hanging over every dragon’s head.

One: Silkwings weren’t to die here, Petra had made it very clear that Silkwings were to be forced out of the chaos if they attacked. Claude knew that if he had to fight Hivewing’s he wouldn’t want their blood staining his claws either.

Two: Edelgard was to be taken down as quickly as possible if negotiations didn't work. She was the reason they were here, once her body fell to the ground this would be over. Claude could take care of things in Almyra without worrying she could come find him and kill him in his sleep.

Three: Don’t die. Claude had made Dimitri promise he wouldn’t do anything stupid. Made him swear on his dead parents, friends, citizens, ancestors that he wouldn’t die. He had looked him in the eye and promised.

He only hoped he kept it.

Claude bit back the growl he felt in his throat as he saw her, the bane of every sane dragon’s existence. 

Edelgard.

The dragoness was the image of royalty, she made Claude and Dimitri look like commoners in her presence. Her white scales were sharply contrasted by the red she wore, the cloth on her shoulders, the chest piece, the intricate crown like piece that adorned her head, its horns curved upward. Claude saw the faint stains of blood on them. Edelgard would not be easy to kill, she made a point of showing that to them now.

Hubert flew down to stand behind his charge, the Nightwing casting them a knowing glance as the white dragoness huffed, the rubies under her eyes glimmering in the morning sun. Felix, Sylvain and Ingrid stood behind Dimitri, all wearing their armour, Lorenz and Hilda behind Claude. He could practically feel the anger radiating off the small Rainwing behind him as she glared Edelgard down.

“Claude. Dimitri.” She said simply. “It’s good to see you again, a shame it’s under these circumstances.”

The two lords stayed quiet, the Skywing glaring at them through narrowed eyes.

“Do you have nothing to say?” She asked. 

“Only that this has to be the damn worst class reunion in history.” Claude laughed darkly. “I wish I didn’t have to get my claws dirty, much less with your blood, El, but a lot of good dragons died waiting for this moment. I’m about to make sure their sacrifice wasn’t in vain.”

Edelgard looked at him silently, before looking up at Dimitri, the king glaring at her with his one good eye. “Do you feel the same, Dimitri?”

“ _ Exactly _ the same.” Dimitri hissed, Edelgard nodding, looking down at the ground for a moment. 

“I will do what is needed to take down this damned Crest system. If you two must die for that to happen, so be it. I promise to make sure your deaths are quick and painless.”

She unfurled her wings, raising them so that her dew claws seemed to reach for the sun before she beat them down, taking off into the sky, her lacky following as the sea of dragons charged forward with a loud roar. 

“CHARGE!” Dimitri roared beside him, Claude roaring as he and his mate rushed forward, the dragons behind them yelling a mix of “For the Kingdom, “For the Alliance” and even a few screeching “For Fodlan”. 

Claude locked talons with a Skywing, his barbed tail having been dipped in a deadly mix of poisons just for this battle, the Almyran stabbing the Skywing in the chest before shoving the convulsing body away and racing forward, glancing up at the sky for the white Empress. 

Beside him Dimitri was slamming dragons into the ground and trampling them, pressing forward as dragons began to clash from all sides, on the ground and in the air. Lorenz and Hilda left his side to tackle down a pair of Icewings that had gotten to close to Claude, the screams of agony letting the Sandwing king-to-be that he was safe. Dimitri’s childhood friends had scattered, Felix blasting a group of dragons with his frost breath, Sylvain scorching everything in his path as Ingrid tore at the wings of her foes. 

No sign of Edelgard yet.

Gods dammit, where had she scurried off to?!

Claude slashed at the snout of a Sandwing that had decided lunging at him was a good idea, biting his shoulder and only letting go once he yowled and scurried off. In the distance he saw Seteth throwing a dragon into the air only to bring his massive talons down on the poor thing. Manuela was making use of her lithe body to dizzy the Mudwing she was fighting before blasting her with her frost and rushing off to take down more imperial soldiers.

Claude saw the Golden Deer were scattered but doing great, he heard Hilda chanting her own name as she sprayed venom onto a group of Skywings, laughing as they screamed. The Blue Lions were holding their own as well, Ashe screeched in anger as he tackled down an Icewing and claws relentlessly at her, only launching off her when she went limp beneath him. Claude knew that one was for Dedue. The Black Eagles, although small in numbers were doing amazing, Ferdinand yelling out commands with an assurance he hadn’t had a month and a half ago, even getting his own claws dirty as he fought for the future he believed in. 

“Von Riegan!” He heard someone roar, the Sandwing barely had time to register where it had come from as something barreled into him from above, the Almyran yelping as he rolled on the ground, suddenly pinned down by Edelgard, her eyes wild, wings flared. 

“Your highness, fancy seeing you here!” He quipped, narrowly avoiding a snap of her jaws aimed for his neck. He bucked her off, the Empress thrown into the mud, rain beginning to fall, just as Cyril had predicted earlier that morning as they waited for the Empire. Rain meant no fire. No fire for either of them.

“You will not get in my way!” She hissed, lunging at him, their talons locking as they reared on their hind legs, Claude snorting as he headbutted her chest, forcing her down, exposing her belly. 

“That’s my line!” He snapped, tail striking and barely missing her, the Skywing rolling to the side. 

“My future is the best for Fodlan, my vision has the best in mind for every dragon.” She wailed. “The Crests are to blame for this, you must understand!”

“Oh, I know Crests are to blame, El.” Claude snarled. “But I don’t like how you’re ‘fixing’ it all. Killing dragons? Conquering the continent? You’re insane!” 

“If wanting the best for all dragons is insane, then I am a maniac.” She whispered, Claude tensed as she launched herself at him, but a blur of black crashed into her side, catching her in its jaws. 

“Dima!” Claude beamed. “You’re late!”

Dimitri yelled out something muffled as he landed, Edelgard struggling in his jaws as he threw her aside, the Empress crashing into Hubert, the Nightwing scrambling out from underneath her and rejoining the fray. 

“I’m not late!” He heaved. 

“Say that to my shoulder, bastard!”

“Can’t this wait?!” 

Edelgard struggled to her feet, racing away, Dimitri and Claude bounding after her, the Empress and the lords in the middle of the battle, dragons fighting around them, but the noises of battle drowned out as Claude focused on the white Skywing. 

“It’s over, Edelgard.” Dimitri snarled. “It ends here.”

“I refuse to die.” She hissed, tail lashing. Rain made her scales glisten, her eyes glowing now as the sun hid behind the clouds. “I  _ refuse _ .” She spat.

The lords cast glances at each other, Edelgard growling, hackles raised. “You will be the ones whose bodies lie here!” She was about to run forward, but suddenly a roar above made them freeze.

Something landed between them, Claude saw the faint flash of light green scales, and as Claude blinked away the water he saw a dragon he didn’t think he’d ever seen again. All three lords tensed suddenly.

It couldn’t be.

Three different expressions were etched into their faces.

Three different emotions.

Shock.

Relief.

Joy. 

A simultaneous yell of the same word.

“Professor!” 

Byleth stood in front of them, the dragoness looking over her shoulder slightly to look at Claude and Dimitri with a slight nod before she whipped around to look at Edelgard. 

“Stand down.” Were the first words he heard from her after five years. Claude would be lying if he said it hadn’t sent shivers up his spine.

Edelgard looked like she was in shock, her beloved professor was in front of her, but on the  _ wrong _ side, fighting  _ against _ her not  _ with _ her. The Skywing took a moment to blink before she snarled and sprinted away, Claude and Dimitri growling and rushing after her once more, hot on her hee;s before they heard her bellow.

“RETREAT!” She screeched, Claude saw hundreds of Skywings and Icewings freeze midfight and begin to run or take to the sky, their foes chasing after them to make sure they left for good. Best leave them with something to remember them by while they ran like the rats they were.

“Gods dammit why is she so fast!?” Claude hissed, Edelgard a few paces ahead of them, but the two had more stamina, they were catching up, she was almost within their talons, they could end this right here. 

And then Edelgard had to be a little bitch.

She tackled Hubert into the ground, the Nightwing having been in her way as she ran, tearing one of his wings as he screeched. The Empress shoved him into the ground and used him as cover as she kept running, launching into the air and flying away, leaving Hubert behind as masses of imperial soldiers retreated over the hills and out of sight.

Claude and Dimitri slowed to a stop, panting as Hubert withered in agony, his torn wing stretched out behind him, the Nightwing glaring up at the two lords as they reached him. 

“We chased the last few stragglers off, Claude!” Hilda chirped, landing beside him. Her scales were stained in blood, but none of it seemed to be hers. Classic Hilda, leaving chaos in her wake, and giving every foe she fought that had managed to run and live to see another day nightmares about the streak of pink that had beat their asses to a pulp.

“Put anyone who's still alive out of their misery.” He ordered her. “It’s the least they deserve. Tell everyone to help you.”

“Got it.” She nodded and rushed off. Claude turning his attention back to the Nightwing at his feet. 

“Kill me.” Hubert growled. “It’s the least I deserve after what I’ve done.”

“It doesn’t have to be like this-”

“KILL ME!” He roared, wincing as pain shot through his wing, Claude growling lowly.

“Claude.” Dimitri said gently.

“Yeah, I know, I know.” Claude sighed. “Alright, we’ll-”

“NO!”

Claude yelped as he and Dimitri were shoved aside, Ferdinand suddenly standing above Hubert, his wings spread, shielding the injured ex-Black Eagle.

“You can’t kill him. I won’t let you.” Ferdinand whispered, pupils needle like. His copper scales were drenched, he looked like he had been dragged through hell and back. “You have to kill me before you can kill him.”

“Ferdinand-” Hubert started.

“SHUT UP!” Ferdinand burst out, Hubert flinching. “You didn’t listen to me as students, you didn’t listen to me when El attacked Garreg Mach, you didn’t listen to me in the forest- For once in your GODDAMN life will you LISTEN TO ME?!” 

Claude’s jaw dropped as he and Dimitri watched in shock, Ferdinand a shaking mess in front of him as he squeezed the bridge of his snout with a bloodstained talon. He was crying. Ferdinand von Aeiger was crying in front of them. 

“Please…” He wheezed, voice shaking. “J-Just. Just listen. Let  _ me  _ protect  _ you _ .”

Claude knew better than to fight with a mated pair. And he let his wings flop in defeat, a sigh escaping him. 

“Alright, enough.” Ferdinand tensed, claws digging into the ground. “Help him back to camp, let Marianne and Mercedes look at his injuries. He stays. It’s clear Edelgard doesn’t care enough about him if she just left him for dead like this.”

Claude glared at Ferdinand. “He’s your responsibility now.” Claude huffed. “If he does anything, even thinks about doing anything that would do us, or anyone else in this army harm, it’s going to be on both you. And there  _ will _ be consequences.” 

Ferdinand looked at him as if expecting him to take it back in a split second, but he nodded slowly, turning to nudge Hubert to his feet, letting his mate lean on him as they limped off, the lord watching them leave as Byleth landed beside them. The hybrid coughed out a plume of fire, not looking at them as she scanned the battlefield. Bodies from both sides littered Gronder Field. Claude, Dimitri and Edelgard had all suffered a large amount of casualties, only for Edelgard to run away like a coward.

Claude sighed, there’d be time to settle this in the future. He was sure. Next time he wouldn’t leave Edelgard’s fate to chance.

“Welcome back, Teach.” Claude chuckled, rolling his shoulders and looking over at the mercenary, her expression blank as she cast a quick glance at him. “We missed you.”

“As did I. It seems I’ve missed a lot, correct?” Byleth churred. “I don’t remember Dimitri missing half a wing.”

“Correct.” Dimitri affirmed. “And it was Hilda.”

“Oh?”  
“Boy, do we got a story for you. Walk with us.” Claude purred.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love you all so much, thank you for restoring my faith in humanity, and for leaving kudos and comments and for making me cry happy tears


	7. I Don't Care What You Say

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The stars weep at night, their tears are what sparkle in the dark. Their only witness is the moon, it's only form of comfort it's presence, but even that is not enough.

Claude limped through the bloodstained grass as he analyzed the aftermath of the battle. Bodies from Alliance and Kingdom soldiers were being taken off the field, members of the Empire being buried where they laid. Hilda had reported 100 dragons at first, the number had tripled by the time Claude had finished his own report. Their numbers had taken a huge hit, a third of their army lost to the Empire, but from the number of graves he had stepped over, it seemed the empire had lost double what they had.

Edelgard’s army was, or would be, in ruins.

Claude finally took into the air with a wince, flying the short distance back to the army’s camp, landing near the forest. A roar of pain made his ears perk, before they settled down to a low hiss of annoyance. 

“Oh, will you sit still? Marianne can’t help if you keep squirming like this.”

Another roar, and then Claude heard a thwack, the Sandwing chuckling. 

“Why you-”

“Shut up. Sit still. Else I’ll hit your head a little harder next time.”

He sauntered away from the tent the three dragons were likely in, he was going to fish around one of the rations crates when Leonie stopped him, her unusually warm scales pressing against him as she shoved him away. He let out a whine of protest, but she just shook her head. 

“Oh no, you’re getting your wounds checked up on, Claude. I’ll bring you food after I visit ‘Grid.”

“I’m fine!”

“You’re as stubborn as an ass, have you seen yourself?” She quirked an eyebrow at his pout. “Go on, I promise I’ll get you some vipers to eat if you go now.”

Claude couldn’t say no to vipers.

He sighed in defeat, grinning as she rolled her eyes, the Almyran heading to the medic tent, pushing the flap aside with his wing as he looked for a spot to lie down.

The tent was full, Manuela barking orders to the medics they had, students included, as they scurried to treat soldiers. He spotted Hubert, Ferdinand and Marianne in the far corner, Claude’s Seawing companion seeming to try and repair the tear in Hubert’s right wing as Ferdinand looked on in worry. Leonie had pushed past him and hurried over to Ingrid, her mate having her wounds bandaged as her Skywing partner sat down beside her, the two cooing happily. Linhardt was stitching a slash on Caspar’s shoulder shut, the small Seawing clearly having a hard time containing his tears of pain.

“Claude!” 

Claude looked over, smiling when he saw Dimitri, Felix and Sylvain beside him, one of Sylvain’s wings in a sling and one of Felix’s legs in splint. 

“Goddess, who had their way with you two?” Claude snorted in amusement, Felix baring his fangs in a silent snarl, face flushed blue as Sylvain laughed.

“Felix thought fighting a Mudwing was a good idea.” Sylvain heaved.

“It was. He died didn’t he?”

“Yeah, once I got there! That guy could’ve used you as a toothpick!” Sylvain snorted.

“Yet he didn’t.”

“Only ‘cause I let him break my wing instead of your back!”

“I was fine!”

“You broke your leg!”

Dimitri rolled his eye as the two bickered between him, not even minding that their king was in their presence, Claude pressing his and Dimitri’s snouts together. 

“I kept my promise.” He chimed, smiling, Claude huffing.

“Barely. Thank you for saving my ass back there.”

“Anything for you. You’re fine, right?”

“My shoulder doesn’t feel fine. I’m waiting for Marianne to finish with Hubert so she can give me my diagnosis.” He chuckled. “What about you?”

“A Rainwing might’ve broken my tail.” He sputtered, Claude bursting into laughter, Dimitri roaring his quiet protest, shoving his good shoulder. “Don’t laugh! That thing had serious jaw strength!”

“Obviously if he broke your tail!” Claude wheezed.

“It hurt like hell!”

“I can imagine!” Claude snorted, Dimitri groaning in embarrassment, hiding his face with his wings. 

“Claude!” Marianne squealed in warning, Claude wasn’t fast enough as Judith shoved her horns against his, their faces smushed together, the Hivewing snarling. 

“You’re an idiot!” Judith roared. “You could've died out there! More so when you decided to fight that stupid Edelgard!”

“Everyone took a risk going out there, it isn’t my fault that Edelgard decided to track me down and fight  _ me _ when Dimitri was right there!”

“Edelbitch knows when a fight is unwinnable, Dimitri is three times her size and just as fast as her, that much he proved.” Judith gave the king’s head a pat of approval before unlocking their horns, poking Claude in the chest with a talon. “Playtime is over. We’re going to Almyra as soon as your company has healed.”

“We’re fighting a war!” Claude roared, wings flaring, every dragon in the tent now looking at them. “There will be time to deal with Almyra once Edelgard is dead, Judith.”

“No! No there won’t!” Judith roared, Claude snarling. “Your father is  _ dead _ boy. The Almyran Court has given any possible heirs 7 days to show up, else his crown will pass to his closest advisor, and those dragons have had it out for you since they learned you existed. You either inherit the throne like your dead father wanted you to or I’m dragging you to his grave myself so you can apologize to his corpse and tell him why you decided this fight was more important than HIS.” 

Claude froze, gasps erupting from every corner of the tent. 

His father…

His father was dead…?

“Do you see how urgent this is now, boy?” Judith hissed. 

Claude couldn’t find his words, only nodding slightly. 

“Good.” Judith huffed, “Get yourself looked at while I prepare.”

Judith pushed her way out of the tent, whispers filling the air once the Hivewing was gone. All eyes were on him, he could feel every individual pair trained on him as he looked down at his talons, tail curled.

“Claude is a prince?”

“He’s Almyran?”

“What you never knew? It’s obvious enough.”

“No wonder the Alliance is the way it is.”

“Takes a mutt to rule mutts.”

He heard Dimitri snarl at where the voice had come from, but it was faint, it felt like he was underwater, everything blurred together, every sound was faint, every voice muffled. It took him a moment to notice he was shaking, he was unsteady on his talons and he felt the tips of a wing brush against him, making him jump.

Claude shied away from Dimitri’s touch, he felt like he was choking, the Almyran needed air, he needed to breath, he needed to get out of here.

Dimitri cried out his name as Claude rushed out of the tent, Mercedes squeaking out her protest as he raced past her, probably spotting his injuries, which he was sure were still bleeding. He rushed into his tent, Judith snapping at him as he rushed past her, quickling closing her mouth when she saw what he knew were tears in his eyes.

Dammit it all, dammit it all,  _ dammit it all, DAMMIT IT ALL. _

He barreled into his tent, the moment the flaps were closed he collapsed on the deer pelt rug, a sob racking through his body as he wailed into the dark of his tent, the scream long and only stopping when he had to gasp for breath. Tears dripped down onto the ground, onto the talons covering his eyes, stupid tears he had held back for so long, tears that he never shed even when alone, even when with Dimitri, even when it was the only thing tht felt right,

He had no right to be crying. He had never met this man, this man was not his father, he did not raise him, no one had, he had been a rat in the streets before Judith found him and took him into the Alliance. His grandfather on his mother’s side had been more of a father than any Almyran king had ever been.

Yet- it all hurt so much, it hurt, it hurt  _ it hurt _ . 

And he was crying all over again, another wail ripping through him.

The cries only stopped when he passed out from exhaustion. 

\---

Once his tail had been snapped back into place, healed and bandaged Dimitri had rushed towards Claude’s tent, the king perking his ears up to listen inside for any sign of his mate, anxiety pricking at his belly. 

He sighed in relief as he heard a shaky breath being being exhaled, the larger dragon pushing in slowly and quietly only to spot Claude curled up on his rug, wings covering him as he sniffed and trembled, claws flexing in his sleep.

The hybrid sighed as he saw his mate like this, what had happened in the medic tent was repulsive, it was too far, even for Judith. Dimitri made a mental note to speak with her tomorrow and tell her to apologize, it was the least he could do to help Claude. 

But that was for tomorrow.

He had to help him now, too.

Dimitri carefully settled down beside the Almyran, Claude only stirring slightly as he used his wing to pull him close. The king felt a purr rumble in his chest from the contact and warmth, tucking his talons under his chest. Claude curled up against him, letting out his own shaky, sleepy purr. 

Dimitri didn’t want tomorrow to come, not for him or for Claude. Gilbert had told him Cornelia still ruled the Kingdom illegitimately in his stead, and with the news of his survival likely spreading with Faerghus, Gilbert was likely hinting that Dimitri would have to be doing his own crusade for justice soon. Not only did he have to reclaim the Holy Kingdom from Edelgard’s control, but his own place as king. Goddess, why must he be separated from Claude after so little time, why couldn’t he have him by his side while they did this?

Claude grumbled in his sleep, pulling Dimitri out of his thoughts as he looked down at him, the Sandwing digging his head deeper into his talents with a whine. 

Dimitri put his thoughts to rest as he lowered his head, resting it beside Claude’s and curling up around him, wings over them, his body like a shield around the much smaller dragon he had fallen in love with.

He could only pray that nightmares didn’t plague Claude’s dreams tonight. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok you can hate me now, it's not a Dimiclaude fic if one of them doesn't scream cry  
This was a transition chapter! We're reaching phase 2! yay! The chapters are likely going to have two POVs from now on, one for Claude and one for Dimitri. I have't seen any plathroughs for either of their routes (only the first like, 2 hours of gameplay from a stream) so I'm going off what my friends and other fanfics have told me! Yay!  
Thank you everyone for sticking with me and reading this little fan passion of mine! 
> 
> I also made a Twitter thread for all the art I've made for the AU! IF you'd like to check it out, here's the link!! ->   
https://twitter.com/shiny_totodiile/status/1182094895353401345?s=19


	8. You Can't Have Bad Guys Without a Hero

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Parting is a not so sweet sorrow.

“We’re splitting up.” Judith announced. “Two groups, one is going to Almyra with the boy and I so he can ascend the throne, the other leaves with his Majesty and Gilbert to Faerghus to reclaim the kingdom and shake off Imperial rule. Time is of the essence, the faster we can take control of the kingdom and Almyra, the faster we can kill Edelbitch.”

Claude looked out into the small group of dragons from his spot beside Judith, only students and faculty were to present, soldiers were to remain in the camp and keep it in the hold of the “United Fodlan” as Byleth had put it so kindly. “I’m only taking a few dragons to Almyra with me, they’re not too friendly to outsiders. At the most I’ll take two dragons from every house.”

“Boo!” Hilda snapped, scales a hot red from where she sat, Marianne giving her a quiet, but harsh ‘shush’.

“The rest of you are to go with Dimitri and the other Blue Lions to reclaim his rightful place as king. If he tells me any of your misbehaved, I’m going to kill you. Looking at you Lorenz, Lysethia.” Claude cast the two dragons a playful glare, knowing that he was serious and would go through with said threat.

The two dragons huffed their disagreement, but no one protested. 

“You’re dismissed ya fucking gremlins, get to packing up, and be here bright and early tomorrow.” Judith snapped. “I’ll leave without ya!”

“I still don’t understand why we can’t just do two trips together.” Claude hissed as the group broke off, preparing supplies for their departure tomorrow morning. Byleth walked past him, giving him a small, proud smile before going to join the students and help with packing. “More dragons would benefit us both.”

“No, Claude.” Dimitri sighed. “I’m landbound. I will only hinder your travels, and Judith said Fodlan’s Throat can only be flown over, not walked through.” Claude saw the sadness linger in his eye.

“I don’t want to do this without you though.” Claude admitted fearfully, eyes wide as a frown found its way onto his face. “And I don’t want you to be doing this without me either, we’re stronger together, Dima.”

“I believe in you. We are stronger together, that I’m certain of, but you are strong on your own as well. Remember all the things you did to get here, everything you did for the Golden Deer, for the Alliance, for me.” Dimitri hissed, the king nudging his shoulder lightly, touch lingering for a moment. “Almyra could not have a better dragon as their leader. I am sure you’ll prove that to them.”

Claude gulped, claws flexing underneath him, anxiety pooling in his gut. Dimitri’s words did wonders to make him feel at least a little more at ease, how was he so lucky. What did he do to deserve such a good partner? “And I’m sure the Kingdom could use a king like you right now.” He smiled, it was a sad smile, but it made Dimitri beam.

“Promise me you won’t die.” Claude whimpered, tugging on Dimitri’s talons with his own. “If I find out something stupid killed you, I’m going to bring you back just to kill you again.”

Dimitri laughed, Claude’s scales feeling hot, all the way up to his ears. “I promise not to die, and I promise to keep everyone travelling with me safe as well.”

“I promise the same, I won’t let anything happen to them.”

His partner nodded, Claude’s lovely king smiling. “We should enjoy this bit of time we have left. What little it may be.”

“Yeah.” Claude purred, “OI, Hilda!”

“WHAT.”

“Get some hunting parties set up, we’re having a feast!”

“Oh Goddess, finally, some good news!” The Rainwing praised.

The entire company enjoyed a large dinner together, laughing, teasing, and just being close. If this was the last time they saw each other, they wanted those memories to be good ones, not ones of war, of pain, of misery, only happiness. If the last thing Claude remembered about Dimitri was the way he laughed, or the way he would twine his tail with his absently, thinking Claude wouldn’t notice, or the way he would melt when he leaned against him, he would die being the happiest dragon in all of Fodlan.

Not everyone had the energy to get up after hours of conversation, Sylvain had to carry his sleeping mate back to their tent, Marriane ushering a grumbling Hilda back to their own tent to call it a night.

Claude fell asleep leaning against his partner as the last of the housemates sat around the fire that night, not waking up as he was carried back to their tent to get some proper rest by his equally tired mate.

\---

Claude woke up to Dimitri getting up beside him, the Sandwing whining at the loss of warmth as Dimitri nudged him with his talon. “Wake up.” The king chuckled fondly, Claude’s ears folded against his head as the larger dragon yawned above him, his stretches accompanied by the cracks of several bones.

“I would rather not…” 

Claude yelped as teeth caught his horns, hoisting him up onto his feet. “Dima!”

“Up and at ‘em.” His partner snorted, chuckling as Claude pouted.

Claude finally relented, sitting on his haunches before Dimitri let go, the Sandwing stretching his arms, cracking each talon before he rolled his shoulders. “Goddess above, I slept like a hatchling.” He yawned. 

“Did you now?”

“Mhm… Time to never sleep so well again.” Claude yawned, keening as one of his back legs cracked, the Sandwing pressing it into the ground to splay his claws out. “Is everyone already outside?”

“You were the last to wake up, yes.” Dimitri snorted, Claude freezing mid stretch as the king snorted in amusement.

“...” Claude sighed, “I’ll be out in a bit.”

Dimitri chuckled, leaving Claude to finish his stretching as he left the tent. When the Almyran was sure the king was gone, he sat down, closing his eyes and muttering a quick prayer to whatever higher power would listen. 

Claude did not like leaving things to chance, he was always swearing on the Goddess, saying her name as frequently as Felix and Ingrid yelled out Sylvain, but he himself was not a holy dragon. Gods were a gamble, he had admitted to himself a long time ago, one truly had to be desperate to seek out their wisdom and blessings, not that Claude didn’t mind it, to each their own. It just wasn’t  _ his  _ thing. But the odds were against them, dragons were going to die if they weren’t careful, the least Claude, a non-believer, could do was do something to ease his own nerves. 

No dragons would be dying if he could help it, that much he had promised to Dimitri.

He stepped out into the camp, joining the dragons who were all packed, many only with a bag slung over their shoulders, Byleth pacing in front of them, making sure they had packed light for the journey ahead of them.

She decided she would travel with Dimitri, promising Claude she would keep an eye out on him and the other students as well. Goddess bless their old teacher, who knows how the battle in Gronder Field would’ve turned out had Byleth not saved their sorry asses. 

Judith coughed from beside him, pulling him away from his thoughts. The Almyran nodding towards the rock were they made all their announcements. Claude jumped onto the boulder in the center of the camp. “Alright gang!” He called out. “Let’s get this shit show rolling!”

\---

\---

Dimitri watched Claude leap onto the boulder with practiced grace, wings slightly open to let him balance. His mate yawned again before making his announcement, tail curling over his back. “We got a lot of traveling to do. Teach is going around making sure you only packed the necessities. This is a fly to and from Almyra. We want to be back in Fodlan and heading to Faerghus as soon as the trouble in Almyra is resolved. It’s hot there. We’re talking deserts known for melting scales off if you aren’t a dragon known for their heat resistance. So I’m taking Hilda, Marianne, Ferdinand, Hubert, Sylvain and Ashe! You’re coming with Judith and I.”

“Oh hell yeah!” Sylvain churred from beside Dimitri, the king glancing at his childhood friend. The Seawing-Skywing looked ecstatic, dancing in place. “We’re going to Almyra, Ashe!”

Ashe chuckled quietly, the gray Sandwing smiling, “It is exciting, isn’t it?”

“Do try and not run your tongue while you’re there.” Felix hissed to his mate, shoving his tail into Sylvain’s chest. “Because I’ll find out, and I’ll make sure you pay for it.”

“I promise, babe! My maw is sealed.”

“...” Felix glared at him before looking over to Hubert, the Nightwing sitting beside Ferdinand. “You wouldn’t be able to seal his jaw magically shut, would you?”

“Not for free.” Hubert snorted, Ferdinand rolling his eyes.

Dimitri chuckled, Claude waiting for the buzz to die down. “Everyone else, you’re heading to Faerghus to overthrow some Cornelia lady and make Dimitri king again, got it? Remember, make as much of a mess as you can for the Empire, the more attention we draw to Faerghus and the Holy Kingdom, the more strain we put on Edelgard, and the easier it’ll be to remove her from power once we’re all together. Does everyone understand?”

There were roars of agreement, Claude smiling, Dimitri looking over at him fondly as he leaped down from the boulder, Judith herding the dragons he had called to the edge of camp. “Stay safe, okay?

“You already made me promise.” Dimitri reminded him gently, chuckling as he felt him tense when he put his snout to his forehead.

“I know, I know. Just, come back to me, alright? I don’t want to rule Almyra if you aren’t ruling Fodlan.”

Dimitri nodded, holding Claude’s talons in his own. “I love you.”

He laughed as Claude froze, spotting the flustered blush spreading across his face. “Dimitri, you can’t just say that right as I’m about to-”

“I love you.” He repeated, more of a tease this time as Claude whined. Dimitri pulled his mate into a hug with his wing. “Now go, I’m sure Judith doesn’t need more reasons to be mad at you.”

Claude nodded, Dimitri reluctantly letting him go and watching him rush off to join his company. Dimitri sat back on his haunches as he saw them take off, Judith and Claude in the lead.

“Don’t look so sad, you Highness.” Dimitri looking over to see Mercedes pad over, the Icewing smiling. “You’ll see each other again, I’m certain of it.”

Dimitri nodded, the specks of color against the sky finally fading away. “You’re right, I should be more positive.” 

Mercedes purred, the dragoness looking up at him fondly. Dimitri always joked she was like the dragonets mom when they were small, Mercedes was a few years older than even Sylvain, and she was always so gentle, soft-spoken and sweet. Whenever someone was sad, Mercedes was always the first to put her rosy-gold wings around them and comfort them. Be it with hugs or with her famous sweets. 

“Ey, Boar.” Felix snapped, pulling him out of his thoughts, Mercedes looking over as well. “We need you to, oh, I don’t know, lead us.”

Dimitri stuttered for a moment, Mercedes giggling behind him. “Right, right.”

He got up, leaping up onto the boulder and looking down to the dragons beneath him. “We’re going to enter Faerghus from the south-east. Our goal is to get to the capital, and kill Cornelia.”

“Finally!” Caspar huffed.

“It’s about time she’s overthrown.” Dorothea snapped. 

“We’ll be travelling by foot,” Dimitri continued. “I apologize for hindering what would be a three day flight.” He added sourly, pulling in his mangled wing closer to his body. He was sure that if Hilda had been here she would’ve muttered a sorry.

“We could all stretch our legs!” Annette chirped. 

“We fare better anyways, archers won’t have clear targets to shoot.” Bernendetta added. “This will work in our favor, for sure. No one will see us coming until it’s too late.”

Dimitri snorted in agreement. “I know many of you have ties to the Empire, we may come across your families. You may need to kill them to live another day.”

“They aren’t our families anymore.” Caspar snarling. “The Empire isn’t something someone should be fighting for voluntarily.” 

“You don’t need to warn us about what’s going to happen.” Ingrid said gently. 

“We’re aware of the danger the Empire gives us.” Petra added.

“And that some of us may die.” Felix huffed. “We aren’t stupid.”

Dimitri sighed. “It’s not that, I know none of you are stupid. It’s just-”

“This is war, Dimitri.” Lorenz said with a huff, . “Lives are always going to be lost, regardless of the side.”

“We know what we signed up for.” Linhardt piped.

“Now,” Felix snapped. “Are we going to start marching, or not?”

Dimitri chuckled. “You took the words right out of my mouth.”

He leaped off the boulder, the dragons moving out of the way as he moved to the front of the group, heading in the opposite direction that Claude had. He looked behind him, the dragons behind him looked ready to rush an entire army, Claude had either riled them up or they really were willing to help Dimitri retake the throne.

“Get moving boar, we aren’t going to walk in front of you!” Felix hissed, but Dimitri heard none of the usual sting that usually accompanied his quips. “You’re king after all.”

Dimitri snorted, beginning to walk into the forest, the camp quickly abandoned as the last pair of wings disappeared into the forest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AAA
> 
> This was pain, transitions are pain, I want to die but please take my hot garbage I'm sorry it sucks, sobs


	9. When I was Young and Stupid, my Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Unexpected. Truly.

“Goddess above, are we going to rest soon?!” Hilda wailed from behind Claude, the Almyran laughing as he turned his head to look behind him. The pink Rainwing was flapping her wings quickly, much like how a sparrow might trying to fly a short distance as quickly as possible. She was the shortest of the group, meaning her wings were equally as short, which meant she struggled to catch up with everyone. It was hilarious, but Claude quite valued snout, so he decided against laughing louder.

“It’s not my fault you have short wings!”

“Yes it is! I’m the slowest one here! Even Hubert is flying faster than me, and his wing is barely healed!” Hilda retorted sharply, flailing her arms towards the Nightwing, who only snorted in response, resorting to flying faster, much her to alarm and anger. 

“Oh, come on, his husband is literally a Skywing, do you think Ferdinand would really stay cooped up in a castle with wings like those?” Claude snapped playfully, “They’re as long as I am!” 

Ferdinand looked up at the mention of his name, ears perked, compared to everyone besides Hilda and possibly Judith, he looked flawless, no sign of fatigue as he flew. “Hm? Did I miss something?”

“We’re just talking about how lazy Hilda is.” Claude sang, Hilda roaring out her anger.

“If you’re so strong carry me!”

“Oh shush, we’re resting soon, we all need a good meal after how long we’ve been flying.” Claude huffed, rolling his eyes, “Oh wise and powerful Godmother, have you spotted a good place for us to rest our wings?”

“You bet your ass, curve right, I see a canyon with a stream nearby, we’ll rest there for now.” The Hivewing flapped her wings before swooping down, the dragons following her down and touching down on pebbles and sand. Thank Sothis for solid ground, Claude’s bones felt like gelatin. 

“Thank goodness, I can’t feel my legs.” Ashe whined, stretching his legs, arching his back like a cat, tail curled over his back. “I never want to fly so long again. Even the flight to Fhirdiad isn’t this long!” 

“Already tired? Come on Ashe, it’s like back in the academy! We used to fly all the time!” Sylvain teased, Ashe grunting as he collapsed on the ground, rolling onto his back. “Professor had us fly from the border of the Kingdom and back some days!”

“Did Teach spoil you with flight lessons?” Claude churred. “Dimitri never told me she took you out flying.”

“She said it was important to be able to maneuver in the air like we did on land. She’d fly in the lead and throw things at us to make sure we avoided at them. Annette ended up with a faceful of pie one day.” Sylvain cooed. “Dimitri was always super clumsy in the air especially, even Dedue could fly with more skill than him. Felix flew circles around him, as did Ingrid, but she’s a Skywing, so she has an advantage.” 

“He always used to fly so well though…” Claude sighed, remembering about their evening flights that ended perched atop the reception hall, overlooking the school. Dimitri had been the one to teach Claude how to do loops and twirls in the air, before then Claude had flown probably as well as a flamingo. 

“Hey, maybe he just needed some motivation to do his best. Some handsome motivation.” The red Seawing laughed, Ashe giggling a bit as Claude’s face went hot.

“Boy, the Skywing, Nightwing and I are going to fish, don’t go causing us trouble while we’re gone, huh?” Judith snapped, Claude nodding. 

“I promise I won’t light the whole canyon on fire.”

Judith rolled her eyes before she and the two mentioned dragons headed downstream towards deeper water. 

“Don’t let any fish eat you!”

“Shut the fuck up!”

Claude snorted out smoke in amusement, turning back to look at the group. “Alright gang, let’ s get a fire set up and see if we can find anything soft to put over the ground. I don’t know about you guys but I don’t want to have a scratched up underbelly.” Claude rolled his shoulders, yawning as he stretched his wings. 

“I’ll take the sand! I sleep just fine in it!” Ashe cooed. 

“I’ll sleep in the stream with Marianne, leaves more room for you guys on land, anyways.” Sylvain yawned, Marianne cooed her agreement from beside her wife.

“Thanks Syl.” Claude purred. “Alright, Hilda, mind helping me find some ferns?” 

Hilda cast him a glare, the Rainwing curled up beside her wife, fins folded against her head. Her scales slowly shifted from the usual pink to a dark red, and Marianne cast the house leader an apologetic glance. 

“Alright, Sylvain, want to help me find some ferns for the others? I doubt Ferdinand will want to sleep on pebbles.”

“Of course, your Kingliness.” He chuckled, “Come on, I thought I saw a cave connected to the stream nearby, we can find some moss to dry, if not any ferns.”

Claude nodded, knowing the two dragonesses and young Sandwing with them would be fine, before he left Sylvain, wading through the water and easing into a paddle to get towards the cave, Sylvain dipping into the water with a flash of his luminescent scales.

The cave was dark, and Claude soon found he couldn’t see in front of his snout within a few moments, the only thing that kept him from swimming into a wall was the flash of Sylvain’s scales underwater, they dimly lit the way as they went deeper and deeper inwards.

Claude finally scrambled onto a secure ledge, whining as he shook his scales, fins drooped and obscuring one of his eyes annoyingly. Sylvain leapt onto the ledge with him, shaking himself off as well as he looked around. “Hm… Aha!”

The Almyran moved a talon to move his fin from his eye, he watched as Sylvain’s wing markings glowed, revealing a wall full of moss before Sylvain pawed it off, collecting it on the ground in strands. “This should be enough for two of you guys, let’s see if we can find some more.” Sylvain leaned on the wall, leaning on his back legs to look up at the ceiling, Claude heard him huff as he strained a talon towards the ceiling. “I don’t think you can reach this stuff, since you’re a tad bit too small. There’s another batch over there from what I saw, try getting some from that growth.”

Claude would’ve stepped on his tail if he could see in front of his snout, so he chose to to just dip back into the water and swim over, doggy paddle slowly and somewhat pathetic getting him to the little island against the cave wall.

There was a large amount of moss, perfect, more bedding. Claude began to claw it off, strips falling towards the ground as he collected it, humming a quiet tune under his breath as he was lost in the work. He ran out of moss eventually in front of him, and stood on his hind legs to see if there was any he could still reach.

Then something brushed against his half submerged tail.

Claude looked down, his eyes having slowly adjusted to the dark and not revealing anything to him under the water. He shrugged and went back to sniffing the wall, but he hadn’t even gone a minute back into his moss collecting duties when something brushed against his tail again, much more forcibly this time.

“Sylvain?”

“Hm?” He heard the dragon’s voice from somewhere deeper in the cave, and Claude’s ears swiveled forward in alarm. 

If Sylvain was over there, then what had-

Claude let out a screech of alarm as something pulled him into the water, Sylvain yelping as Claude disappeared into the water, the surge of bubbles replacing the air he exhaled sharply. Claude kicked his back legs out, wings flapping madly as he tried to resurface, lungs already screaming for air. 

He finally found purchase on something and hauled himself up, gasping for air as he tried to scramble away, but something bit down on his leg, hard, and dragged him down again. The hybrid clawed at whatever maw was hanging onto him and kicked again, but Goddess dammit this thing was persistent!

He felt the air get knocked out of him, quick to close his jaws as the thing hanging onto him let go in alarm, the flash of scales near him alerting him that Sylvain had come to his rescue. 

Claude rushed to the surface once more, beginning to paddle away as a new flash of scales now accompanied Sylvain’s. Another Seawing?! Had the Empire followed them all the way here, were they stationed nearby?

Claude’s mind was racing as he got close to the entrance, a splash behind him and a yelp of shock accompanying it. Claude was out of the cave by the time Sylvain rushed to join him, covered in scratches and bites as he headbutted Claude’s flank. 

“FASTER!”

Claude finally pebbles underwater to grab hold of as he raced towards where Ashe, Hilda and Marianne had been, Claude tripping and rolling onto the sand as Sylvain skidded to a halt and whirled around facing the cave as he snarled, his wings unfurled and his Crest flaring. 

Splashing was heard from the cave and a dragon burst out, roaring angrily and rushing to them much more quickly than Sylvain must’ve anticipated because the hybrid’s chest was only NOW beginning to glow before something landed in front of him, large, black and equally as angry. 

“I cast that the dragon in front of me obeys my every word!” Hubert. His voice echoed in the canyon before he flared his wings. “FREEZE!”

The dragon had lunged before Hubert had said his command, the dragon falling to the ground like a rock would and landing in the shallow water with a grunt of pain. Hubert glared down at him, but his wings folded into his body, Sylvain panting behind him. Claude heard Judith and Ferdinand land behind him, Ferdinand rushing to Hubert’s side and gagging a bit at the sight of the dragon now frozen in front of them, stiff as a board. 

Claude struggled up, peaking at the dragon from beside Sylvain, the dragon at his side breathing heavily, lips curled back into a snarl.

“It can’t be…” Sylvain hissed through gritted teeth, the dragon in the water was snarling, and now that Claude had a better look at him, there was something… Familiar about him, somewhat. It was a hybrid, much like Sylvain, actually, he was larger than Sylvain, and Claude grimaced at what looked like crystals growing out of the right side of his body. They were sharp, black, and a red eye glowed unnaturally within a deep socket, painful was the best way to describe how they looked. His wing was gone, leaving a single, sharp crystal in its place. 

His left side was rather normal, dull red scales, the blue luminescent scales on him were a dark, dark teal. A scar ran down his face, even the crystal like side of him had chips in where the scar probably continued. Sylvain padded forward, and grabbed the dragon by his chin, the hybrid’s snarl getting louder, Sylvain only snarled back in response, Hubert rolling his eyes as he watched.

“Will you tell us who this is before I stab him for making me waste a spell?”

“You aren’t going to believe this but…” Sylvain took a deep breath, Claude tilting his head, ears folded against his head. “This is Miklan.”

Ashe gasped from behind Claude, rushing over, eyes wide in shock, the dragon looking over at him and snarling louder, what sounded like a roar trying to build up in his chest at the sight of the gray Sandwing. 

“He’s my supposed to be dead brother. I stabbed him so many times I thought he had melted into the puddle of blood underneath of my talons. But here he is, alive, still baring the damage of what trying to use a Heroic Relic without a crest can do to you.” Sylvain dropped his head, Miklan snarling as his head hit the water again. 

“Miklan… The dragon Rhea took you to kill for stealing House Gautier’s Relic?” Claude yelped. 

Sylvain nodded. “We killed him that day though. Dimitri was there, thinking I needed comfort, Byleth pried his lance from his talons and gave it to me. The Seawing-Skywing slammed his talons down on Miklan’s snout, claws curling into scales and finding gaps in the crystals. “HOW ARE YOU ALIVE?!”

Claude winced, Ashe cowering behind him as Sylvain snarled, teeth bared. 

“You may want to let me remove the freeze spell on his mouth before you start asking him any questions, Gautier.” Hubert huffed in annoyance. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Didn't expect that one, didya?!"
> 
> No Dimitri portion this time, Claude's little spotlight for now, just assume Lorenz and Lysethia have been put on child leashes by Leonie and Dimitri is 'this' close from just being crazy again :)
> 
> \---
> 
> Thank you for you patience guys! I had midterms these past two weeks, so I've been busy! Burnout sucks and I'm going to be updating a little slower. The chapter names are going to be split between lyrics of "The Other Side of Paradise" by the Glass Animals for Claude and "Ignorance" by Paramore for Dimitri! I've had these songs stuck in my head so now you will too! The song lyrics used before this chapter were from "Pigeon" by Cavetown for those curious. Thank you so much for your support guys, I love you all, and have a wonderful night/morning/evening! See ya on soon >:3


	10. Well, I Guess I'll Make my Own Way

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And you thought things couldn't get any worse.

Claude was trying to look as inconspicuous as possible as he side-eyed the crystalized dragon next to Sylvain, Ashe was on the other side of Sylvain, watching Miklan eat a fish they had caught with the functioning side of his face. Sylvain was glaring at him, a wing draped over the gray Sandwing as they watched him.

“Are we keeping it?” Judith snorted beside Claude, the older Hivewing watching them cautiously. Night had fallen upon the group, the fire in the center of their small little camp being their only light, not like Ashe or Hubert needed it, they all saw rather fine without light regardless, curse Claude’s Hivewing genes ridding him of his night vision. How in the Hells could Judith see the dragon across the fire so well?

“What? Of course not! Well, uh, actually- Sylvain?” Claude turned to look at the younger Gautier, “What  _ are _ we going to do with grumpy-talons over there?”

“That’s what I’ve been trying to figure out, those crystals cover his throat and underbelly fully.” Miklan growled lowly as Sylvain huffed. “And I doubt he can actually talk to tell us what can hurt him.”

“I doubt he’d tell us anyway.” Hilda snorted. “Did you see how he left Claude’s leg?” 

“Oh I see AND feel it, thank you.” Claude grumbled, wings pressing against bitten leg. Bless Marianne and her white magic, the wound would heal in a day’s time

“I could care less about that, I would like to know how the hell he’s ALIVE!” Sylvain snapped. “He’s not supposed to be alive!”

“I may have a theory on that.” Hubert hissed, Ferdinand snoring beside him, leaning against his side, head tucked into his wings.

The group looked over at the Nightwing, the undersides of his wings were glimmering with spots of white resembling stars in the dark, and his eyes glowed unnaturally as well. Claude felt a bit unsettled, but thank the Goddess the only thing that had tied Hubert to the Empire had left him for dead in her stead at Gronder.

“Oh, do tell, vampire.” Judith snorted, leaning her head in a palm, Hubert glaring at her momentarily before etching something into the sand. Claude craned his neck over, finally grumbling and moving to sit beside the Nightwing, well, as close as he could sit without the Nightwing looking like he was plotting his demise. 

When Hubert tucked his claws under his chest once more, Claude got a good look at what he had drawn. It looked like a snake, wrapped around a Levin Sword, tongue flicking. It… Was a pretty good drawing for someone Claude hadn’t taken as artistic. 

Hilda had padded over as well, Marianne behind her. The Rainwing tilted her head, fins flaring in confusion. “A magic sword wielding snake? What is this, Ylisse?”

“Those Who Slither in the Dark.” Hubert said, matter of factly. 

“Could you get any eviler?” Ashe called from where he was.

“They’re an organization stationed in the south of Adrestian territory, and they’re trying to reestablish themselves as the apex predators in Fodlan, like they were many centuries ago. They joined with the Empire to destroy Garreg Mach and if Edelgard continues to be allied with them, they’re holding Rhea hostage in Enbarr.” Hubert said. “They’re using her to fuel their ambitions, bring back Nemesis.” 

“The King of Liberation?! But he killed Sothis!” Ashe yelped. 

“That’s the plan. IF they succeed, they’ll target the last surviving Saints and Professor.” The Nightwing looked down at the sand, “Then the rest of Fodlan will be next, if we are to successfully stop Edelgard, we must also bring down Those Who Slither. Wiping them out will be the only way we can surely keep Fodlan safe post-war.” Claude flinched as his claws flashed and he raked them down the sand, destroying his drawing.

“Wait… Remaining Saints?” Sylvain looked over. “But aren’t they-”

“They revealed to Edelgard that Rhea, Seteh and Flayn are actually Saint Serios, Saint Cichol and Saint Cethleann, respectively.” Hubert huffed, Claude’s jaw dropping. All those sore muscles, the dread of training with Seteth for class, the strength all three invoked in battle-

“I WAS GETTING TOSSED AROUND BY A SAINT THAT WHOLE TIME IN THE ACADEMY???” Claude roared, Ashe and Marianne squeaking in surprise. 

“I’m surprised no one noticed. I’m sure Professor knows though.” Hubert mused. “But yes. I’d suggest we complete our business in Almyra quickly, seeing as how they’re likely advancing their progress faster with two threats to their plans now. Dimitri and his company could be in danger.”

Claude shot up at that, “What?!”

“Seteth, Flayn and Professor are travelling with him. Those Who Slither will target them and eliminate the only real threat to their rise to power. Edelgard may want control of Fodlan, and Dimitri and you maybe in the way of that, but she would never let anything harm Professor. She’s-”

“Obsessed.” Claude finished. “I saw it at Gronder, the way she looked at Byleth…” He shuddered, remembering the Empress’ lilac eyes glazing at the sight of the dragoness. He saw them light with fury when she clearly drew the line and choose a side. Edelgard knew she was a threat but rathered run than lay a talon on her  _ darling  _ professor. 

“Mhm.” Hubert grumbled. “However, along with bringing Nemesis back, they’ve been doing experiments, to insert crests into other dragons, or even put in two. Edelgard and I have seen it, Edelgard experienced it, her scales weren’t always white.”

“Goddess, that’s awful…” Marianne whispered.

“They have many failed experiments, many of their subjects end up dead or needing to be put out of their misery.” Hubert glanced at Miklan, “I’ve seen other dragons end up like him, it’s likely he agreed to be a part of their experiments thinking it would give him a crest to use.”

“Of course he would do something so stupid to be accepted back into the family…” Sylvain hissed with disgust. 

“Is there anyway to fix it?” Marianne asked. 

“No. Most victims die within days or weeks. They likely found his body and tested it further and brought back this. It’ll succumb to the testing soon. That thing is no longer Miklan.” Hubert assured the hybrid Gautier, Sylvain glancing at his brother. 

“Will it try to kill us in our sleep, vampire?’ Judith growled. 

“No. If you’re truly so uneasy, I can kill him now.” The Nightwing hissed.

“Oh, no, I’d rather not see any more dragon guts for a while, thank you.” Claude gagged, “Just make sure he’s frozen when we all go to sleep, yeah?”

Hubert nodded, stretching his wings as he sighed. “I’d suggest resting now, boy, we leave at daybreak, we have to make progress on our flight.” Judith snapped at Claude. “That goes for all of you, stay close to each other. I don’t trust any of that Animus magic mumbo jumbo.” The Hivewing snorted, yawning as she stretched her claws. 

Claude agreed somewhat with his godmother, Crests were already a dangerous thing to have in your arsenal, but Animus magic was a whole different thing altogether. It was only limited by a dragon’s sanity. Thank the Goddess Hubert was on  _ their _ side.

“Night, everyone!” Claude chirped, going to his spot once more, Judith already snoring from where she was curled up. He settled into the sand, curling up so his head was tucked against his chest, wings draped over him to keep him warm.

The sound of the fire lulled him to sleep.

\---

\---

“I spy with my little eye… Something… Green!” 

“Is it my cloak?”

“Oh my Goddess, Linnie, please have some fun with this!” 

Dimitri chuckled from where he was at the front of the group, behind him Linhardt and Caspar had been trying to lighten the mood with games as they trudged through Faerghus forest, pines looming overhead and casting odd shadows onto the forest floor. It had been entertaining, and was keeping Dimitri’s mind off his racing thoughts and worries. 

“Your Majesty, we have some trouble.” Ingrid called from overhead, Dimitri looked up to see Ingrid swoop down, landing beside him. “There’s a company up ahead, twenty or so dragons strong. They’re Imperial, there’s no way around.”

“Damn, are you certain?” Dimitri growled. Ingrid nodded, the Skywing looking just as worried. “Some of our injuries from Gronder are still healing too… This may be difficult.”

“Scared, boar?” Felix snapped from his other side. 

“Of course not, I would gladly fight them all myself had it not need for my own injuries. We must play our cards right if we wish to take them by surprise.” 

“If I may,” Leonie trotted up to them, walking beside Ingrid. “We could circle them and attack from all sides, nothing like causing some chaos to surprise an enemy.” 

“I feel as if we should try circling around…” Dimitri insisted quietly, ears folding against his head. “I don’t want to get any of you more hurt-”

“Can it boar, we’re doing it this way, we’ll wipe the floor with them.” Felix hissed, tail lashing. “You lead us, or I’ll do it, we can’t run away from every problem that presents itself, else you’ll be pulling this shit in Fhirdiad, and Enbarr too.”

Dimitri frowned, but caved, nodding. Felix was right, they could not run away from everything that presented itself a problem. “Alright, yes, you’re right. Everyone, hold.” Dimitri called, the dragons behind him stopping. “There’s an enemy camp up ahead, we need to take care of it to get to the capital as quickly as possible. Is there anyone who can’t fight due to their injuries?” 

Out of everyone, only Manuela, Petra and Raphael raised their wings in response. Manuela had a nasty bite to her forearm, Petra having three long slashes down her flank that were too big and serious to risk reopening and Raphael limping too badly on his left leg to put any real weight on it.

“Alright, Rodrigue, Gilbert, I trust you to stay behind and make sure no one gets this far out. Linhardt, I’d like you to stay and heal anyone who may need it, yes?”

“Understood.” Linhardt yawned, sitting down and curling his tail around his talons, “I’ll protect them too, if need be.”

“Thank you, everyone else, follow me.” Dimitri turned back around and bounded forward, the other dragons rushing after him, “Ingrid, Leonie, take the left, Felix, Caspar, the right, I’ll take the front. Annette, go with ‘Grid, Mercedes, go with Felix. Flayn, stay with me. Keep your healers safe, and try to make this quick. Understood?”

“Yes Your Majesty!”

“Good, I’ll send out a diversion, you attack on my command. Go!” The groups split off, Dimitri’s group stalking forward to the edge of the clearing. It wasn’t very large, from here Dimitri could see Ingrid’s group slipping into position from the dark, waiting patiently for the signal. Dimitri could hear the laughing and clink of jugs as the soldiers drank the night away. Beside him Dorothea came up, fins flaring on her back. 

“Your Majesty, if I may, can I be your diversion?” She asked. 

“Why?” 

“I have a feeling I can distract them pretty well.” She giggled, smirking. “Looks can be very deceiving.” 

Dimitri pondered for a moment, nodding his approval as Dorothea slipped out of the brush and headed to the middle of the clearing with a hint of swagger, catching the attention of the soldiers fairly quickly. They seemed to drop their guard fast, but one eventually tried to get Dorothea back in their tent and Dimitri snarled, good wing flaring open. 

“NOW!”

Dimitri charged out of the brush with a lunge, dragons bursting out of the forest as they tackled soldiers to the ground. One screeched out a warning and more burst out of the tents, Dimitri narrowly avoiding a blast of magic from one. Dammit, there were even more than Ingrid had said. Despite this however, Dimitri quickly caught the mage that had attacked him so carelessly by the wing and threw him to the ground in anger, the snap of bone alerting him that he had snapped the wing in two, the mage screaming in agony. 

Dimitri let him wither on the ground before taking another mage by the throat and breaking his neck, his allies making quick work of most of the soldiers. Caspar and Bernendetta chased two soldiers to the edge of the clearing, Bernie fire a blot of acid at their wings and making them scream. Ingrid and Leonie had charred the underbelly off a Seawing soldier, the two splitting up and helping others chase or kill soldiers still standing. A nimble Icewing was racing away from Seteth, the larger dragon’s talons stained red and blue form the dragons he had attacked. It all seemed to be going well, there were maybe ten dragons left to take care of when-

“Brother, help!” 

Dimitri’s ears swiveled forward as he looked around in panic. Flayn’s voice, Flayn had screamed in fear. Oh Goddess where was she?!

He raced around the clearing in growing desperation, before he finally spotted her. Dimitri spotted the little Nightwing curled up and wings tucked into her body as she trembled, corner to a tree by a Skywing wearing all black robes. Dimitri saw runes glow in front of the copper dragon, it’s eyes glowing a strange yellow and a hum filling the air.

Thoron.

Goddess, no, no amount of magic resistance would save Flayn from that! Every dragon seemed busy herding injured dragons to healers for a quick patch up or fighting soldiers, Dimitri had to do something, and it seemed like his talons thought on their own, he was already bounding forward when something cold brushed against him and zoomed past in a flash of white and indigo. It took no time to recognize that familiar feeling and blur. 

Felix.

Dimitri roared out for him to stop, trying to catch up to the Duke as he raced towards Flayn. The Skywing was finished charging the spell, jaws parting as he fired, Flayn wailing as she put her wings in front of her in a feeble attempt to protect herself. Seteth had seen them now, the Nigthwing roaring in fury as he rushed forward too.

And just like that a white dragon got in the way, taking the full force of the spell with a scream of horror and agony, the flash of light would’ve frozen any other dragon but Dimtiri just crashed into the Skywing, tearing its throat out and flinging him away before turning his attention back on the pathetic lump in front of him. 

His best friend.

His best friend was limp and probably dead, he couldn’t see him breathing, or moving, or Goddess no, please, please Sothis, don’t tear someone he cares so much about away from him again,  _ please _ .

Smoke rose from Felix’s left side, the dragon curled in on himself as he twitched feebly, wings sprawled out underneath him as electricity sparked from his scales. His scales were  _ seared _ , Felix looked dead. He-

Goddess no.

No, no, no-

“FELIX!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys I love you all so much??? OVer 1.2k hits? 73 kudos? All these comments??? Guys you're all so amazing, I cannot believe you would love this silly little thing so much, thank you???
> 
> Anyways I'm sorry if you hate me now I promise everything will be okay-


	11. Wise Little Smile That Spoke so Safely

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Of Thoron scars and desert heat.

Dimitri was frozen in place after the scream ripped through his throat, he barely registered Mercedes and Byleth rushing past him and kneeling down beside the severely injured Duke at their feet, Flayn having joined them, their healing magic already getting to work to try and save him. He noted Byleth giving orders, the luminescent scales glowing a lime green, panicked.

His claws sank into the blood soaked ground as Felix suddenly screeched in agony, wings flaring open and Dimitri tried to rush over to him, to help, to do something, this was one of his best friends, he couldn’t let this be happening, he couldn’t, he couldn’t-

Ingrid got in his way, headbutting his chest to try and push him back as something grabbed onto and tugged on his tail, a broken roar clawing its way out of his throat as he was tugged away, Annette and Dorothea rushing over to try and help as the electrified dragon they were huddled around twitched and squirmed and screeched.

Dimitri’s ears swiveled forward and he tried to get past Ingrid, but she stood her ground, her own wings opening and blocking his view. He saw her opening and closing her mouth but he couldn’t hear her, blood was roaring in his ears, he had to make sure Felix was okay, he had to, he had to, he had-

“DIMITRI!” The king froze, torn away from his thoughts as he looked down at the small orange dragon below him, Ingrid’s eyes wide and pupils slit, obviously terrified, maybe as much as him. “Stay with me, Your Majesty, please. He’s going to be okay, he’s going to be okay.”

They maintained eye contact for a moment before Dimitri caved, looking down at his talons with a subdued nod, Ingrid sighing. Whatever, or whoever, had bit his tail let go, and the blur of copper from the corner of his eye identified the culprit as Leonie, the Skywing touching her snout to Ingrid’s before she led the noble away, likely to calm her down. Another scream tore through the clearing, and Dimitri was tempted to curl up on the ground and cover his ears with his talons in hopes of silencing the dreadful noises that escaped Felix. He dreaded the noise of his friends in pain since what happened in Duscur, in Garreg Mach’s invasion, in-

“Your Majesty…?”

Dimitri looked up to see Flayn, Felix’s blue blood stained her talons and some of her underbelly and face, her eyes wide and ears drawn back against her head. “I-I… I need you to help me find some bandages, and some anti burn salve, we need it for Felix… My brother is helping me look but we need all the talons we can get...” 

“He’s alright?” Dimitri whispered. He hated how his voice cracked, how the threat of a sob, a wail, a cry hinted it and made him internally cringe. Strong. Be strong. These dragons need you Blaiddyd, more now than ever. 

Flayn nodded. “At least from what we’ve come to, he could turn for the worst, and that Thoron… He’s scarred for life, no amount of magic will heal the scars.” She trailed off, and her eyes glazed over for a moment, Dimitri recognized that look. A horrible memory she relived for a moment before she blinked and looked up at him, green eyes back in the present. “Search the tents, Mercedes and Byleth are moving him to one of the larger tents so they can supervise him through the night. We won’t be making any more progress on our travel to Fhirdiad though, I’m afraid.”

Dimitri nodded, “I had no plans on moving regardless, I’ll tell the others to look as well.” He heaved himself onto his feet, muscles screaming as he pushed forward, “Don’t push yourself, Flayn. We need you. Everyone here is important.” 

He walked past the small Nightwing before picking up the pace and beginning to look around the tents for anything, telling any dragons he passed to help him look for anything that would help Felix and anyone else that was hurt. The king searched for a sign of any potions, herbs, badnages, even staves or tomes. Dear Sothis, why was it so hard to concentrate!?

He finally picked up the sharp tang of a medicinal herb he recognized from his academy days, he remembered it mainly because Dedue had grown it in the greenhouse with Ashe and Marianne, and followed the trail to a small tent, one clearly occupied by an Imperial Rainwing or Icewing it seemed, because Dimitri couldn’t get into it, barely fitting one forearm and his head through it. 

Dimitri eventually gave up trying to get in, standing back and coming to the conclusion that either he was going to break the tent, or he was going to break himself trying to get into it. He snorted out a cloud of smoke in his frustration, he couldn’t tear into the tent without risking whatever was inside, and he couldn’t blindly reach in either. Who was small enough to fit in here?

Wait.

“Lysethia!” He roared, turning to look around, he spotted her beside Cyril, Ignatz and Raphael, the Icewing Animus looking over in shock before rushing over, Cyril following after her.

“Your Majesty?” She chirped, Cyril standing beside her. 

“Could you please get the supplies out of here for me? I’m- Uh- Far too big, I can barely get my head in there.” He coughed in slight embarrassment.

Lysethia cocked a brow before grumbling something under her breath and scrambling inside, the Icewing coming out with a small bag a few moments later before diving back in. Cyril frowned at the small brown bag before taking a whiff, recoiling and gagging, lifting his snout and covering it with a wing for a moment.

“What IS that?!” He coughed, waving a talon by his snout once he stepped back. 

“ Herbs for burns, don’t eat it!” Lysethia warned quickly. “It’s poisonous to dragons from non-arid climates!”

“Trust me, I wouldn’t eat something that smells so bad!” The Almyran shuddered, Dimitri grabbing the bag and giving her a hasty thank you as she deposited some bandages outside as well. 

“I’ll stay here and loot the tent, go take that to Mercedes!” She spat, waving him away with a flick of her tail, Dimitri already rushing off as Cyril guarded Lysethia and the tent. 

Dimitri found the rose-gold Icewing outside a tent, talking with Byleth quietly, tail curled behind her, wings rigid against her body as Dimitri slowed to a trot and stopped in front of them, his ex-professor looking at the bag in his mouth curiously. He dropped the bag, Mercedes taking it into her talons.

“Are those the herbs?” Mercedes asked, eyes twinkling. She sounded hurt, Dimitri winced at the observation, the facade she put up would break if Felix didn’t pull through, Goddess don’t let that happen. One thing would be losing Felix, but Mercedes falling apart? Dimitri didn’t know if he would be able to handle that...

“Y-Yes. May I see him?” Dimitri asked quickly, a crestfallen look etching his features as Byleth shook her head. 

“I’ll fetch you when you can. You need to have your wounds tended to.” Mercedes cooed gently, “Morale will be low if everyone sees you like this, Dimitri.”

“Everyone needs a distraction, go out hunting with Seteth, Ingrid and Caspar.” Byleth told him, more of an order than a suggestion. “Felix maybe well enough to see you when you return.” 

Dimitri felt the whimper build up in his throat, but he nodded, choking it back down. “Understood.” He turned away before looking back at them, letting himself be weak for a moment, letting his voice tremble and legs shake. “If anything happens, good or bad, send a runner to find me, alright?’

“Of course.” Mercedes cooed.

“Go and find us some food, Dima.”

\---

Dimitri’s small hunting party had been rather successful, Caspar was proudly dragging a bear into camp, despite it being as big as he was and the small Seawing having to walk backwards to bring it towards camp, while Ingrid carried several hares, Dimitri a wolf, and Seteth some sort of large feline, a mountain lion, perhaps? It had done him some good, the distraction calmed him a great deal, but anxiety still nipped at his heels as they got back to camp. He noted that the others in the company had settled nicely for the night, a fire had been lit in the center of the camp, dragons bustling about, trying to get organized for the next portion of their journey, even if it would be several days to a week before they made any progress whatsoever.

Lysethia had taken all of the supplies out of the tent Dimitri had found earlier, Annette, Linhardt and Manuela helping her sort everything into neat piles, Petra, Leonie and Raphael had looted all the other tents and found a good deal of weapons, including some gauntlets for Raphael and Caspar, that would prove useful for the future. He also saw Rodrigue talking with Gilbert and Byleth, the old Icewing looked devastated, shaking slightly, even if it looked like Byleth was trying to comfort him.

Just as Dimitri dropped his wolf on the pile they had made for their food, Byleth walked over to him. She was smiling ever so slightly, hopefully she had good news. “He’s awake, he had asked for Flayn earlier and now he’s asking for you-” She barely got the last word out before Dimitri rushed towards the tent. “HEY!” 

Dimitri squwaked awkwardly as she slammed her talon over his tail, making him sit down as she circled around him to look him in the eye. “Be gentle, Dima.” She warned softly. “He’s… In shock, his injuries are severe, there’s a chance he may never be able to fight like he used to again because of this. He isn’t taking this very well, as well as you think he might be.” 

Dimitri watched her lower her gaze, the frills on the sides of her head shifting through various colors before they settled to a pale blue, the dragoness looking up at him through narrowed eyes. “He’s vulnerable, physically and emotionally, he was crying earlier, he’ll be crying a lot more sooner or later. He needs his friends while Sylvain isn’t here, alright? Make sure he can confide in you.”

The king nodded and she nodded at the tent his childhood friend was in. “Holler if you need me or Mercie.”

“Thank you, Byleth.” He murmured, the hybrid nodding before she padded off, Dimitri making his way to the tent. He stopped before the entrance, clenching and unclenching his talons as he thought about what he’d say, or what he’d do if Goddess forbid Felix started crying in front of him. Dimitri wasn’t sure if he was strong enough to see his best friend sob and not start bawling himself. 

“B-Boar… If you’re going to come in, just come in.” A voice growled weakly form inside, Dimitri’s ears perking up. Felix, thank the Goddess he could still talk, even if sounded like he had eaten a bag full of coals.

“Boar, don’t make me wait, dammit.”

Damn it all.

He pushed his way inside, spotting Felix lying down on his non-injured side, on top of some blankets the healers likely salvaged from some of the tents to make him more comfortable. Dimitri grimaced at the grevious wound that ran from Felix’s left eye to his flank and a portion of his tail. The skin and scales almost rippled like water, the mounds of where the strongest magic hit swollen and a fierce blue, just looking at it made Dimitri’s whole left side shudder and hurt. Felix’s own left wing now resembled Dimitri’s somewhat, shriveled up and crisped at the edges, making it impossible for Felix to fly now. Felix’s left eye wasn’t completely focused on him, slightly hazy, somewhat milky, he could see, but it was clear the sharp gaze that had once bore into him as a dragonet was no longer present. In short, Felix looked like hell, and even if he did pull through, his life would never be the same.

“That bad, huh?” Felix scoffed, noticing how Dimitri grimaced and stared. “I tried to look at myself, but Mercedes scolded me and told me I need to rest my body.”

“She’s right.” Dimitri agreed. “You shouldn’t strain yourself.”

“And what of your little campaign, huh?” Felix snorted. “I’ll slow you down now. Best leave me here and retake Fhirdiad for my sake.”

“You speak nonsense. We wait for you to be well enough to march or accommodate our speed to your pace. I’m certain others wouldn’t mind taking turns carrying you.” Dimitri said, snorting in disapproval. “We leave no dragon behind.”

“I’m  _ maimed _ , Dimitri.” Felix hissed harshly. “I’m a burden to your cause, and I’ll only be dead weight on the battlefield, I can’t fly, I can’t see as well I used to, and my whole left side is charred and will need  _ time we don’t have _ to be rehabilitated.” 

“That never stopped me.” Dimitri grumbled, Felix trying his best to snarl but only wincing and coughing. “I can’t fly, I can’t see at all from my right side and I survived on corpses like some sort of rabid creature. I  _ was _ a boar during those five years of isolation, Fe. I’m was no different then compared to how you are now.” 

Felix closed his eyes, ears folded against his head, Dimitri continuing to talk, “We are weak alone but strong together, you may be unable to fight for the time being but your knowledge and snark is irreplaceable.” Felix grunted out a chuckle at that. “We aren’t leaving you behind, Fe. Sylvain would have my head if I told him we left you in a forest south of Fhirdiad.” 

“Sylvain would also tell me that I must be mad if he saw me giving up so easily.” Felix chuffed. Dimitri didn’t fail to notice the faint dusting of blue on the Duke’s face as he blushed, thinking about his mate. “He’d probably swat my flank and tell me to move it before he told everyone I’d gone soft.”

Dimitri laughed, smiling. “He would.”

“You win this time boar, I hope you’re in the mood to carry me around.” The Duke snapped, no bite in his voice. “I may have burned off some pounds but I’m still heavier than I look.”

“I’ll take that as a challenge and a good way to spruce up my training.” Dimitri grunted playfully, lying down beside the hybrid Duke as they chatted the night away. Sleep might have evaded them, but at least Felix was in no mood to be alone.

\---

\---

The group had woken up early in the morning, the sky was still dark, and the colors of the morning were only now starting to show themselves to the world. Claude had blinked the sleep out of his eyes and yawned, feeling the weight of like three different dragons on him, Goddess above his back was going to be sore as hell. 

Hilda was snoring into his ear, Marianne curled up beside her, a wing draping over her mate and him, Ashe was pressed to his other side, the little gray dragon snoring softly and twitching in his sleep, Sylvain snoring beside him and belly up, legs twitching as he dreamt, Ferdinand and Hubert slept at the end of the pile of dragons, Ferdinand’s head tucked under Hubert’s as his back spikes rose and fell steadily. Judith was sitting near the stream, Claude scrambling out from under the dragons on top of him as he padded over, confused as to why his Godmother was already awake.

She was looking down at something and when he reached her he saw what is was, recoiling slightly, wings flaring open in alarm. Great Serios above-

Miklan was stiff as a board where he had likely fallen asleep, water flowing around and over him as he laid completely still, eyes closed. There was a strange flower, a pale red and white in color (lilies?), by his talons, Judith casting a glance at Claude as he sat down beside her.

“He woke me up, just barely. I stay up until he died, went looking for some sort of flower, said a quick prayer. Don’t know where the hell he ended up, but I hope he’s finally at peace.” Judith grumbled. “Every dragons got a bit of bad in them, things in our lives our beyond our control, where we’re born, where we stand socially, some of us get lucky, others don’t. Big brute got the short end of the stick it seemed. I may have not known him, but I guess there’s some good in that, I could only judge him like I judge every stranger I meet.”

“Did they try to kill me or not?” Claude joked quietly, Judith shoving him with her wing. 

“No.” She snapped. “Not at all.” 

He watched her sigh, looking up at the sky. “No dragon deserves to be judged by what  _ you _ know. Every dragon has years worth of stories, unless you know it all first talon, you don’t get to say if a dragon is good or bad.”

“I guess we share that much in common.” Claude chuckled. “Racism is just that, we have to be open about this, all of it.”

Judith nodded, rolling her shoulders before she stood up. “Wake everyone up and make sure they eat, I’ll see if we’re good for the last leg of our journey.”

Claude nodded before she leapt into the air, the Hivewing disappearing over the canyon as Claude looked back down at the dead… Dragon, he supposed, in the stream. 

“Note to self, don’t eat anymore fish from this stream.” He grumbled.

\---

The group had left the canyon an hour after Claude woke up, waking up early had been crucial, and thank the Goddess they had done it. Desert had made up the very last hours of their journey, Claude was fine, as was Judith, Ashe and Ferdinand, they were basically bred for the heat, Claude felt that it made him fly faster even, but when they stopped for water in a small village, Hubert looked ready to melt into a puddle, Marianne having to have water splashed all over her by Hilda and Sylvain to rehydrate her scales. 

They took to the skies once Marianne and Sylvain had gotten a good soak, and it didn’t take long for Judith to roar for them to land, the dragoness diving down to a cliff, much to the surprise of the others, Claude stopping mid flight and hovering in midair, his company doing the same as they watched Judith land. Claude grumbled something about how sore his arms were before he diving down, the others following as he awkwardly landed behind Judith. 

“Judes, what’s wrong?” Claude chirped, Judith’s ears flicking, not turning to look at them as they all landed.

“Boy and company, I’d like to welcome you to the capital of the greatest country east of Fodlan.” Judith waved a wing to the horizon, Claude looking out over into the distance. A gasp escaped him as he saw the outline of a large city, dragons were flying in the sky, tiny specks silhouetted by the setting sun. The dragons behind Claude looked on in awe, Sylvain whistling lowly. 

“What a beauty…”

“Welcome to Zoroa, the capital of Almyra.” Judith said proudly, puffing out her chest. “Our destination, and where we’ll be for the next five days trying to prove the boy is worthy of the throne his father left for him.” 

“A challenge by the sounds of it…” Ferdinand grumbled. “Are we ill-prepared for this?”

“Very, the only proof Claude has that he is a son of the deceased king is that he has the crest his mother had and that he has Hivewing blood in him. Even with his blood, he looks as much Hivewing as I do Mduwing.” Judith prodded at his side, Claude yelping in surprise. “The Council will likely put him to the test to prove his worth. Trials upon trials, or only a few, if we’re lucky.”

“Lovely, a waste of time if you ask me.” Hubert huffed. 

“I agree with vampire dragon, Claude, is there no way we can put you on the throne and skedaddle back to Fhirdiad as soon as possible?” Hilda hissed. 

“If he makes a good first impression, yes.” Judith butt in. “Almyra is a war country, we love our fighters, but we value beauty too, painters, dancers, poets. We aren’t much for magic, unfortunately, we call if Fodlan tactics, for the weak.”

Hubert snorted in anger, Judith turning her attention back to the starry-eyed Claude. “You need to waltz in there and show them just how Almyran you are. I hate to say it, but you might’ve been right about splitting up. That Dimitri would’ve been a great piece of intimidation for when you face the court, but we’ll have to make do.” 

“Any ideas?” Claude prodded, shaking himself as Judith turned to look back at the city in the distance. “Because I have a few, but I don’t think they’ll be very effective.”

“Spit it out.”

“Hilda could be the strong, buff warrior I could show off. If they need a display of strength she could, uh, break a tree in the royal gardens or something?” Hilda bit back a snort of laughter, Claude pushing her with his wing. “I’m serious! Looks can be deceiving, they’ll be surprised!”

“Surprised and debating kill you on the spot.” Judith grumbled. 

“Oh come on. I take Hilda and then I take Ferdinand for the artistic showoff, since he’s a dancer-”

“No.”

“Hubie-”

“Absolutely not.” The Nigthwing said with more bite in his voice. “I’ll be Emperor of Adrestria before I send Ferdinand out with  _ you _ of all dragons to a capital of a place we’ve never set foot in.”

“He was fine for those five years on his own!” Claude protested. 

“He has a point.” Ferdinand pointed out, Hubert growling. 

“Vampire, listen, the longer we argue, the longer we dance around the fact boy’s right, and the more time your mate’s gotta be in the capital!” Judith snapped. “We do this the right way and leave as soon as possible.” 

“We can do this my way or the hard way, trust me, I hate the idea of having to show off another living dragon like a prize as much as you do, it wouldn’t sit well with me if this was Dimitri we were talking about, and it doesn’t sit well with me when it isn’t!” Claude said, sighing as he shrugged. “But I promise you, I will take care of him, if a dragon in the court so much as looks at him funny I’ll bite them.”

“Regardless if you do or don’t  _ I _ will.” Hubert snarled. 

“So is that a yes?” Judith asked.

The Nightwing looked at his mate before looking at his talons and sighing heavily, flexing his claws. “Yes.”

Claude smiled, “Your sacrifice is a valliant and appreciated one. Now-” He turned to the company. “Let’s reclaim my throne, shall we?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys,,, I'm so happy, you guys are amazing and had it not been for all the kudos, comments, hints, anything I would've stopped writing a long time ago, thank you so much, I love reading your comments, I love freaking out with you when I reply, I love you all, I hope you enjoyed this new chapter!!!
> 
> \---
> 
> Some authors notes too!!
> 
> -I HC that Flayn's mom died in battle, she joined Seteth and Flayn and tried to protect them but she got hit by a Thoron spell and was killed, which is why Flayn reacted the way she did
> 
> -Judith put lilies by Miklan's body, lilies symbolize death and passing on pure of spirit
> 
> -If you read the wiki page for Almyra, you'll see the exact thing that gave me inspiration for the name of the Almyran capital


	12. Out West that's Where they'd Make it

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Does a little dance but also not really

Finding the silks and bands they needed for Feridnand’s dancer outfit was a challenge in of itself, they had been lucky to spot a bright red Skywing selling her goods nearby, and for rather cheap, Claude might add. She did the measurements quickly and gave him some beautiful blue and gold silks that complemented his copper scales nicely. Hubert had glared at the dragoness as she flirted with his mate, but if she had noticed she made no effort to note it. 

Along with Ferdinand’s silks and jewelry, they got Hilda a brand new, shiny axe, one with a wonderful intricate designs up and down the handle and on the metal itself. After getting Hilda way from the cart (and saving his hard earned savings from her monstrous spending habit) they headed off once more. They entered the city and found a house up for rent near the gates, swiping it up and paying for the week before hurrying inside, Hilda letting out a grateful sigh of relief once they were in.

Claude lied down on the cold stone as Sylvain and she went out to buy food, blankets and medical supplies to stock up with. They let Ferdinand put his new outfit on as well, the dragon spreading his wings to show off the silks. 

“Don’t I look marvelous?”

“Lovely, Ferdie.” Hubert cooed lowly, Ferdinand beaming as the disks on his arms and neck clinked together. 

“It could’ve used more gold bands.” Hilda sighed wistfully. “There were so many pretty gold bands at that merchants cart…”

“He has plenty!” Claude argued. “You nearly drained my savings getting him just THOSE bands and silks!”

“They were necessary for his outfit! Look at him, he looks splendid!”

“Hilda.”

“Ugh, fine, party pooper.”

Claude rolled his eyes, the door slamming open as Sylvain prooped it open with a boulder, Ashe grunting outside and scrambling his claws over the dirt, a crate full of food slowly being pushed in by Ashe. 

“If you guys need to buy anything, you have this, it’s only for emergencies. Food, water, anything like that, alright?” Claude tossed the small pouch onto the table in the center of the room, Ashe dragging in the crate full of food they had bought to put it somewhere in the small home. “One of us will stop by to give you guys update every night if we can, but the palace is where we’ll be most of the day, alright? If ANYTHING awful happens, just bolt to the palace and tell them you know me, they should let you in.”

“Understood.” Sylvain chirped, his tail curling around him and covering his feet. “As the one in charge, I’ll make sure everyone stays safe.”

“Who died and made you king?” Hubert hissed. “I’m the most qualified, regardless. I’ll make sure everything is as you left it, Claude.”

“Neither of you are in charge! Marianne is.” Claude huffed in annoyance, puffing out his chest with a frown. “I trust you’ll keep them from ripping each others horns off, Mari?”

The pale blue Seawing nodded, giggling softly as the two dragons gawked at her before turning to each other, snarling. Claude frowned, tail thumping the wall to get their attention. “As I was saying- This should take no more than four days, maybe five. Here’s to things going smoothly. Don’t kill each other.” 

“Best of luck, Claude!” Ashe called, poking his head out from the other side of a wall. “May the Goddess bless you and make this easy!”

“Thanks!” Claude left the house, joining the two waiting dragons outside, Hilda and Ferdinand having slipped out of the house while Claude had been talking to the others. Hilda was sitting on her haunches as she fiddled with her axe, watching it catch the light of the sun as Ferdinand adjusted the bands of gold on his tail beside her, grumbling in frustration. 

“These are pretty and all, but Goddess above, they keep slipping off my scales!” He sighed, wings drooping in defeat. “I miss my own outfit…”

“They’ll stick eventually,” Claude laughed. “Come on, Judith is waiting for us at the square.” 

Hilda grabbed the axe and put it in sheath she had bought, the weapon forcing her to fold her wings a bit awkwardly as she joined him, Ferdinand settling into a trot to his right. “This city is truly beautiful… I’ve never seen so many different dragons in one place besides in battle. It puts the Empire to shame.” 

He was right, in the moat to their left Claude saw a Seawing family practicing their diving, a father dunking his head into the water and two twin dragonets copying the action, bubbles rising from the water as a pale almost white Sandwing watched from the edge, laughing in amusement. On the rooftops were a group of Nightwings, dark gray in color and soaking up the last rays of sun as it set, the four of them snoring and huddled together like a group of cats he remembered from Garreg Mach. Claude swore he saw some of the royal guard walking around even, Hivewings and Skywings amongst them, relaxed and interacting with citizens as if they weren’t dressed in dangerous armour and carrying sharp swords and lances. 

Now that Claude thought about it, he had seen more outsider species than he had thought he would spot in Almyra. Sure, Hivewings outnumbered other dragons 5 to 1, but he had read books saying Almyra  _ hated _ outsiders, that was what every book he had ever found told him. There were stories about outsiders being refused entry, or being killed trying to enter the country, but he hadn’t seen a single hostile Hivewing since he had entered the city. Could the influx of non-Hivewings and lack of amonosity be a result of the war?

“Boy!” 

Claude looked up, spotting the Judith in the center of the square, near the fountain, another dragon beside her. It was another Hivewing, heavily battle scarred and missing an entire horn from his head, the side of his head missing the horn baring heavy scarring from snout to ear. He was muscular, and maybe a little fat now that Claude was closer, an odd sight to him after seeing so many hungry dragons since the war started. He was a little younger than Judith by the looks of it, and once he looked over, Claude nearly exploded. 

“Nader!” He beamed, rushing over and headbutting the Hivewing’s shoulder, the dragon letting out a grunt before laughing. Hilda and Ferdinand rushed over, Claude smiling widely as his ears perked forward, tail curled over his back happily.

“If it isn’t the pipsqueak! You haven’t changed one bit!” Nader bellowed, pulling him into a headlock and messing up his fins with a large talon, Claude yelping out his protest. “Glad to see you’re still kicking, Judith told me she expected you’d be dead!”

“Did she now?” Claude huffed, smiling as the larger Hivewing let go. 

“Are you ready to go to the palace?” Judith asked, ignoring the jab at her, snorting out a plume of smoke. “The council accepted our request for a hearing. We best not be late.”

“Wait, you’re serious about going to go see the council?!” Nader yelped, eyes wide. “You must have a death wish, the council’s going to rip you to pieces.”

“I’m the rightful heir!” Claude hissed, wings flaring. “They’ve got no other choice. Let them put me through trials, or scream at me about how I’m a mutt, or whatever! I’ll prove my worth just fine.” 

“Attaboy! We’ve got this.” Judith snorted. Nader huffed, folding his ears back as he frowned, clearly hesitant to agree with the older female.

“Yeah, time to show the geezers whose boss, yeah?” Hilda purred, smirking. 

“Agreed, it’s time we work to recovering your throne, Claude!” Ferdinand churred, smiling as well, tail lashing.

“Let’s go!”

\---

Claude felt small (slash that,  _ tiny _ ) as he stood in front of the council, the Hybrid gulping as he was observed by the elder dragons on the perches above him, Hilda stood to his left, Ferdinand to his right, Judith and Nader took their spots in the lowest perches, watching the dragons above them. He was trying his best to be calm, and he thought he was doing a rather good job despite the future of Fodlan hanging by a thread.

“And you claim to be the son of our Lord?” An elderly female spoke, the dragoness snorting in disapproval. “A likely claim, what proof do you have? There are many hybrid Hivewings in Almyra.” 

“Did my father never speak of my mother?” Claude asked. He bit his tongue before he added something rude to the end of his question, he had to stay calm, he couldn’t explode on them now, not when they were so close to this. “My mother spoke frequently of my father before I was taken in by my godmother and grandfather.”   


“He only told the council she was not from Almyra, that she was a Knight of Serios in the breeding ground of weaklings.” A male snapped, shifting from his perch. Claude flexed his claws, his mother was not just an ex-Knight of Serios from Fodlan, and she was certainly not a weakling, he had been able to keep up with Nader’s rigorous training for a reason. “He never mentioned her name or that she had been with egg after she left Almyra to go back to the Alliance. Simply that he had found a mate and that he would not be taking another one, regardless if said mate had a child or not.” 

“What excuse did she use when she arrived back in Fodlan?” Another dragon hissed, an older male. “What did she tell the nurse maids about the egg she was carrying?” 

“She told my grandfather the truth, everyone else was told she had used magic to produce an egg to slip through the borders without issue. Egg heavy dragons are rarely attacked, regardless of origin.” Claude said, ear flicking. “My mother only mentioned my father was a good dragon before she was killed in a border battle against the Empire.”

He heard murmuring from above before the eldest dragon, the one in charge of the council it seemed. She was a Great Hivewing by the looks of it, a giant dragon over 500 years old if Claude remembered Hanneman’s lectures correctly that dwarfed others of the same species in size and wisdom. She was a pitchblack silhouette save for the glow of her bright blue eyes, the large female bowing her head. “My condolences.” She muttered. “The writings left by our king spoke highly of this dragoness, she must’ve been a great mother, and even better fighter. She did well in raising you, even if it was only for a small amount of time, if you are before us now.”

“Thank you.” Claude returned the gesture, slightly opening his wings as he bowed his head. “I speak no lies, my father wanted me to ascend the throne, I just wish I had been able to meet him before he passed.”

“As do we, he had much to teach you.” She muttered, voice soothing, calming almost. “Claude von Riegan, all evidence points to you being his son, save for one thing, we do not know if you possess the Crest he had mentioned in his writing and announcement. If you can prove that, we will begin the steps to putting you on the throne as you father wished.”

“So no trials?” Claude asked. The Hivewing shook her head. 

“There will be things we do to test you for future lessons in our culture and practices, but if you prove you lineage you will ascend the throne, you have no brothers or sisters that can challenge the throne, or relatives that can challenge you either.” 

“Oh thank goodness.” He sighed, Hilda and Ferdinand heaving out sighs of relief from beside him.

“Is there any way to present your Crest to the council, Sir Riegan?” The female spoke once more. 

“Oh, of course!” He flared his wings open, showing the pure black undersides of them before he closed his eyes and concentrated his power towards his crest. He wasn’t one for magic, meaning it was a little harder than he would like to summon his crest, but he had to pull this off. Taking a deep breath a hum filled the air and gasps were heard from above and beside him. He opened his eyes and looked behind him to see his crest having flared to life on his wings, a sharp golden color against the pitch black leather of his wings, glowing bright in the dimly lit chamber before it died down, Claude folding his wings back into his body. 

The council dragons whispered to each other quietly above them, only going silent when the Great Hivewing let out a low rumble from deep in her chest, underbelly glowing softly. 

“Is this what you were looking for?” Claude chirped, tail lashing.

The elder dragon nodded,eyes narrowing slightly due to what Claude assumed was a smile. “It is. Thank you Sir Riegan, Almyra has a king again.”

Hilda cheered beside him, Ferdinand laughing as she hugged him, her scales shifting to a bright yellow. Claude looked over to see Judith sighing in relief, Nader laughing happily as he shoved the dragoness playfully on their perch.

“We will begin the coronation process tomorrow morning, we can discuss the issues regarding the war in Fodlan and the aid you wished to send them before your first test.” The Great Hivewing dipped her head. “The council dismisses you.” 

“Thank you!” Claude beamed, “We’ll be here bright and early.”

She nodded before Claude and his companions rushed out, Claude letting out a roar of triumph into the night, flapping his wings in joy. 

“We did it!” Hilda squealed. “Good Goddess, I never want to sit down for so long again, believe it or not, my haunches hurt like hell!”

“Agreed, I’m glad they were impressed by my presence though. I guess Skywing dancers are much rarer than I thought.” Ferdinand sighed, stretching his legs and wings as Claude sat down with a happy sigh.

“I didn’t even know they existed.” Hilda huffed. “I’d only ever seen Seawing and Icewing dancers, maybe a talonful for Rainwing dancers-” 

“Boy and company, the council said they prepared your rooms, we’ll be staying here in the palace until this is over.” Judith grunted, spreading her wings. “I’m going to check up on our friends, get your rest, you’re going to need it.” 

Claude didn’t even get to open his mouth as she jumped into the air and flew off, the soon-to-be king huffing. “Rude.”

“Ah, she means well, pipsqueak.” Nader rumbled, nudging him teasingly. “But she’s right, you need you rest, you’ve got a tough three days in front of you.”

Claude nodded, looking up into the sky, the moon casting its bright light onto them as the small group of dragons relaxed. All the tension of the council meeting, all the stress, the worry, it all melted away as Claude smiled. He was one step closer to his goal, to uniting Almyra and Fodlan, to ending the war, overthrowing Edelgard.

To being by Dimitri’s side again.

Goddess, it wouldn’t be long now until he saw the king again. When he did, he would share the same title as he, they’d both be ruling their kingdoms, they’d finally be working together to taking Enbarr and riding Fodlan of Edelgard, and hopefully Those Who Slither along with them.

“Just a little longer,” Claude whispered into the night. “I won’t be long now, my Moonlight.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two for one!!! A second chapter because I felt creative felt like you guys deserved a bonus, even if it's another Claude solo chapter <3  
\---  
Thank you again for all the love, I love y'all <3


	13. The Friends who Stuck Together, we Wrote our Names in Blood

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You waited, I present to you Chapter 13.
> 
> Today, we take back Fhirdiad.

“Are we close?” 

“Closer than we were a few minutes ago.” 

“Can I get off now?”

“No.”

“I want to walk.”

“Felix…”

Dimitri chuckled, looking back at the group behind him to see Felix on Seteth’s back, resting his head on his talons as he was carried along, small compared to the slightly frustrated Greatwing who was carrying him. He stood out against the older dragon’s nearly black scales, a pouting lump of white and dark blue. 

They had only started travelling again after a week of respite (much to the charnigan of Felix himself), Felix was slowly healing, he could somewhat limp alongside Dimitri and he could sit, lie down, and stand up all on his own. He had to be carried around to travel distances quickly, but Dimitri never complained, Felix was ridiculously light compared to him. 

That however hadn’t stopped Annette from protesting when Dimitri announced they had to get going, only Byleth and Mercedes able to calm and convince her that regardless if they travelled or not they knew Felix would get himself into some sort of scuffle.

_ ‘Are we sure Felix will be able to recover from all of this… He’s strong, I have no doubts about that, but he’s also stubborn, I wouldn't put it against him to reopen the wound, or refuse to rest.’ The Skywing-Sandwing hybrid in front of him fiddled with her scarf, claws clicking against one another. _

_ Dimitri remembered Annette’s look of worry, she was like a sister to Felix, they cared about each other greatly, like siblings would. It was good for Felix, to have someone to care about that wasn’t older than him, wiser than him, that he didn’t snap at or grow jealous of, and good for Annette, the dragoness having something she didn’t have as dragonet. The king knew that in another life, one where Sylvain and Felix hadn’t known each other as dragonets, Felix and Annette would’ve become something closer. _

_ ‘I’ll keep him safe, and make sure that he rests, he can complain all he wants, but he listens to orders when they’re from you.’ He smiled softly, using his good wing to pat her head, the dragoness sticking her tongue out. _

_ ‘Promise?’ _

_ ‘Promise.’ _

“You already walked a great deal, you can’t strain yourself.” Dimitri huffed, his smile betraying him. “We’re almost at the capital, you’ll be able to get on your feet then.”

“I won’t strain myself, boar, I want to walk,  _ I need to walk. _ ” Felix flexed his talons to emphasise his point, the elder dragon carrying him rolling his eyes as Flayn giggled beside him. “My claws are itching for the ground.”

“And you’ll just reopen your stupid wound all over again if you do,” Annette said with a pout, pressing her wings close to her body. “I won’t patch you up again, not after last Tuesday. Mercie might.”

“I will!” Mercedes cooed happily.

“I can live with that.” Felix huffed, grunting as he pushed himself off Seteth (who let out a growl of annoyance), landing on the ground awkwardly with a spread of his wings. Annette opened her mouth to protest but he covered it with his tail, taking a few bold steps towards Dimitri, slightly limping, but otherwise fine. 

“Will you look at that, you’re walking on your own!”

“I practiced on my own at night.” Dimitri’s ears folded back in disapproval, frowning. Felix rolled his eyes as he looked back at the path, still walking stiffly. “Just a little, when I couldn’t sleep. It’s hard to without Syl.”

Dimitri felt a pang of pain in his chest, heart twisting at his friend’s words. Of course he would miss his mate, Dimitri only realized how much he missed Claude’s warmth at night after they had set up camp that first night out. With what had happened to Felix, he couldn’t imagine how the hybrid duke was dealing with this.

“I understand.” He said slowly. “I’m sorry he’s not here.”

Felix shook his head. “He’s better off helping Claude, I know it. Sylvain is smart, and being here only fighting will do him no good. Besides, I’m sure the others are keeping him in good spirits while we’re apart. He was always very close with Hilda and Marianne.”

Dimitri gave him a quick nod, the king taking a deep breath through his snout. Felix limped beside him in silence, the two dragons drowning out the background noise of the dragons behind them.

“I missed this.” Felix admitted suddenly.

“Mhm?”

“Missed just you and I, walking in the snow, even if we might be marching to our deaths. I won’t lie and pretend I don’t care about you.” Felix turned his head to look at Dimitri through his good eye. “Whatever happens in Fhirdiad, I promise to lay my life down for yours. I’m your shield, Dimitri.”

“And I your sword, my friend.” Dimitri purred lowly, Felix looking away quickly, face dusted blue from a blush. 

“Stop talking, or else I’ll tell Sylvain you hit on me.”

“I think he’d praise me for my boldness, if anything!” Dimitri laughed.

“Your Majesty, a moment if you will.” Dimitri turned around Seteth padding over, Flayn behind him, trying to peak over his tail as he blocked her way. “The scouts have returned, they said there’s already fighting going on in Fhirdiad as we speak.”

“What?” Felix hissed beside Dimitri, the King’s own neck frills rising in alarm as Felix bristled. “Impossible, all troops were told to retreat to Fraldarius territory until we returned.”

“That’s just the thing, there are only three dragons fighting, the scouts recalled seeing a Sandwing, Mudwing and Nightwing, they were holding their own for what seems like hours. Cornelia was in the center of the city screaming and shouting but her troops are exhausted, it seems like they’re close to a stalemate at this point. Another scout told me that a fourth dragon is possibly fighting with them as well.”

“They must have a deathwish. Cornelia focused most of the Imperial forces gifted to her by Edelgard in the capital for a reason.” Felix snapped.

“Could they be rebellious troops who are dwindling in numbers now?” Dimitri tried. “I know Faerghus, every dragon here has a fighting spirit, even the commoners.”

“No. The only bodies found were those of Imperial dragons.” Seteth growled. “We have no idea who these dragons are, other than their species and that two of them are female.”

Dimitri and Felix cast each other worried looks before the Duke raised his head, teeth bared. “FATHER!”

Dimitri saw Rodrigue lift his head from the crowd of dragons, the Icewing picking his way over to them, standing beside Seteth. “What’s wrong?”

“We received reports from scouts about a battle in Fhirdiad, how is that possible when we kept troops out of Imperial territory.” Dimitri watched the spikes on Felix’s back rise as he spoke, pupils slit like as he snarled. “You didn’t do something behind Sylvain and I’s back, did you?”

“Margrave Gautier and I have not sent any troops into battle outside of the areas you and Sylvain had kept control of. Unless the Margrave saw an opportunity for an advantageous attack, I doubt these dragons are affiliated with the Kingdom.”

Seteth had gone silent as they spoke, Dimitri noticing how his brow furrowed as he thought. That’s why Dimitri nearly took a stumbling step back when he unfurled his wings and took off into the air. 

“Brother!” Flayn yelped, opening her own wings before Cyril stepped on her tail to keep her on the ground. 

“What the hell was that about?!” Felix roared, his father blinking in shock. 

“Don’t look at me, he was your professor was he not?” Rodrigue sputtered.

“He was also yours,” Byleth snorted, shouldering past him. Her frills and some scales on her body were a blood red, eyes narrowed. “That dragon is older than all of us combined, he knows something we do not, and I do not plan to sit here like a gaggle of geese while he flies to his death. Follow me if you want.”

Dimitri coughed as she launched into the sky after Seteth, kicking snow into the air, the dragoness spinning into the direction the elder dragon flew off too, Felix snarling beside his King.

“What are we standing around here for, let’s go!” He headbutt the hybrid as he limped off in the direction the two dragons had flown off to, yelping as Dimitri slid underneath him and broke into a run, Felix’s claws digging into his back for support.

“Hey! Wait for us!”

\---

Fhirdiad was an inferno. 

Dimitri had let Felix slide off his back as the King stood frozen in front of the city’s gate, smoke bellowed out of several parts of the city, fires scattered everywhere he looked. Had Felix not pressed close to him to support himself, Dimitri was sure the images of the tragedy would have come flooding back and rooted him to the ground. The others dragons in their company were in just much shock as he was, frantically whispering behind him and his friend. 

“Where the hell are they?” Felix snarled, he lifted his snout and parted his jaws, breathing in deeply. “Dammit, the smoke is too thick in the air, I can’t scent them.”

“We’ll need to go in then.” Dimitri huffed, ears pressed to his head. “We can’t let Byleth and Seteth handle this alone.”

“IN?!” Ignatz yelped from the back of the group. 

“You can’t be serious, we’ll be burned alive!” Bernadetta wailed. 

“You can all fly, once we find those three dragons and the professors, we can scatter. Cornelia must have no fight left in her if we can’t hear any magic from out here.” Dimitri grunted. 

“Is she really that powerful of a mage?” Lysethia asked. 

“She cured an epidemic that could’ve wiped out the entire Kingdom of Faerghus in two days time. She is not a dragon that can be taken lightly.” Dimitri looked back into the city, roars echoed in the streets and he could see figures racing by, weapons in maw. “Stay alive my friends, take care of each other, I want to see you all after this is over.” 

“Right!”

“Stick with me Felix.” Dimitri said. 

“I don’t really have any other choice.”

With a roar, the group charged into the city and scattered to look for the professor, Dimitri and Felix sticking to the back of the group and heading for the center square. Dimitri shoved Felix down with his wing and caught a lunging Icewing by it’s wrist, flinging her aside and into a pillar, the stone shattering as she collided with it. 

“Move, boar!” Felix snarled, Dimitri jumping out of the way as Felix blasted an incoming Nightwing in the face, the dragon dying before hitting the ground. 

“Thank you.” Felix huffed, snorting out frost as he looked around once more.

“Stop talking and fight.”

Dimitri continued onward, running into Ingrid and Leonie, the Skywings maws stained red. “Ingrid, do me a favor and stick with Felix while I patrol ahead, I’ll return shortly.”

“Of course, stay safe, your Majesty.” Ingrid rushed off, Leonie following after her mate.

Dimitri pushed forward, eyes slowly adjusting to the smokescreen he walked through as he perked his ears up for any possible attack. He kept his wings unfolded, one close to his blindspot to prevent any dangerous damage, he could lose his other wing, it’s not like he needed it. The Nightwing was pulled out of his thoughts as he heard pebbles scatter nearby, and he lowered himself to the ground, freezing. Something was in the smokescreen with him.

Something rushed across the path behind him, Dimitri whirling around and blasting a fireball into the now empty space. The King snarled deep in his throat before he was slammed into the ground by a powerful talon on his head, beginning to thrash about underneath his attacker, but to no avail, the claws on his scales only pressed down harder. 

“Make this easier for me and cease your struggle!” The voice above him snarled, muffled with his one ear pressed to the cobblestone under him. 

“You’ll have to kill me to stop me!” Dimitri rolled on the ground, the dragon on top of him grunting and stumbling off of him, Dimitri racing back onto his feet. By the time he was up again, his attacker had slipped back into the smokescreen. With no fire to rely on, he flexed his claws. It’s been a while since another dragon lasted this long against him in a fight. 

His attacker must’ve seen the eyepatch on him earlier because his next attack came from his blindspot, jaws closing down on the joint of his wing and pulling, Dimitri roaring in agony as he struggled in the vice grip. He thwacked him with his tail, biting the dragon’s shoulder and forcing him to let go, the assailant dipping into the smoke once more.

“Show yourself coward!” Dimitri bared his fangs, lips pulled back in a snarl as he looked around wildly. “Who do you fight for?!”

Dimitri heard the shift of paws on cobble this time, and met his attacker head on, his horns colliding with this dragon’s singular one. 

“MY KING!”

Dimitri and this dragon made eye contact. It was a Mudwing hybrid, body littered with scars and with one, ram like horn curving upward and in, locking Dimitri’s own horn in place as they pushed against each other. His back spikes were a pure white fading into gray, and on one ripped ear was a golden earring-

Dimitri froze, nearly being pushed back into a wall before he came to his senses and pulled around from him with noise of confusion. 

No. No, no, no, this couldn’t be. This couldn’t be him, he had died, when they had escaped the dungeon here in Fhirdiad, he had shoved him into the blizzard for cover and taken on all those guards, mirroring what Dimitri had done for him during the Tragedy. He was  _ dead.  _ Dimitri could barely force out his voice, a strained, broken thing as he swallowed the lump in his throat.

“Dedue?”

The dragon in front of him tensed up, claws digging into the ground. 

“Dedue, it’s me, it’s Dimitri!” The King roared, padding up to him, the large Mudwing stepping back and looking down his snout. A million different emotions flashed in his eyes before he folded his ears back, snorting out a plume of smoke. “I swear it.”

“Y-Your Highness…?” Dedue whispered, tail lashing behind him as he sniffed his forehead, Dimitri’s claws twitching nervously. “Your Highness!”

Dimitri grunted as he was headbutted by the dragon he could only consider to be the brother he never had, Dimitri laughing as he embraced him with his wings, tail thumping the ground. “Oh thank the Heavens and the Stars, you’re alive my friend!” 

Dedue chuckled as well, “I am glad that you are still fighting with us your Highness.”

“Majesty, if you must, we’re taking back Fhirdiad once and for all, Cornelia has caused enough suffering.” Dimitri snarled. “I can only imagine you came here to attempt and stop her as well.”

“I met some old allies,” Dedue started, “They told me they were looking for Lady Rhea, and were going to infiltrate Fhirdiad to look for her. I came with them to avenge you, if it turned out I didn’t find you here.”

“You thought I was dead?” Dimitri whispered. 

“Most of Faerghus did, I have been hidden in Duscur since helping you escape, the dragons we rescued during our first months in the academy found me and nursed me back to health. I only recently became well enough to travel on my own. I heard that you had been sighted on Gronder Field, but I only found bodies when I travelled there myself.” The hybrid sighed. “I thought one of the graves I saw was your own.”

“We went off the grid.” Dimitri shook his head, looking down the path, avoiding his retainer’s gaze guiltily. “Edelgard escaped at Gronder, and Claude had something important come up. We snuck around the southern border, and Claude took a small group of dragons with him to Almyra.”

“Almyra?” The Duscrian dragon snorted in confusion. 

“His homeland. We didn’t have a lot of time to plan something different, a lot has happened since we last saw each other, and now isn’t the time to chat.” Dimitri muttered, Dedue nodding in agreement. “Come on, tell me who these friends of yours were.”

“Ah, you should know them well, they-”

A thunderous boom was heard from a part of the city, a thunderbolt that towered over the buildings that still stood standing crashing down onto the ground and striking what could only be a large group of dragons from what the duo could hear. A laugh echoed in the ruins of the city, a dragon flying into the air post-strike, lightning on its talons as it climbed into the sky to look back at the carnage. 

“Yeah baby, you’re smoked!” The dragon laughed, Dimitri crouching beside his friend. “Nobody messes with Thunder Catherine!”

“Catherine, get down from there, Alois hasn’t destroyed the ballista!” A new dragon roared, jumping onto the top of a crumbling building, her scales were a midnight black, the frills on the side of her head a dark, almost black blue. “You’ll get us caught by Imperial forces!”

“Aw, Shamir, let me have my fun, come on!” Catherine groaned, “Just one more strike, gotta scare them, bye!”

“Catherine!” Shamir screeched, Catherine disappearing back into the smokescreen.

“Shamir, I need some help down here- OW! LET GO OF MY TAIL, LET GO!”

Dimitri saw the dragoness leap back into the smokescreen as well, the screams of soldiers accompanying her touch down. “W-Was that-?”

“My company, it seems that Catherine is enjoying herself.” Dedue rumbled, Dimitri nodding. 

“Come on, we need to get moving, professor and Seteth came here to fight before us, and with the smokescreen up I’m not sure we’ll be able to see each other.” Dimitri said, Dedue nodding. 

“Then let us find our allies.”

“Oh Goddess above, Felix!” Dimitri gasped. “He’s injured, he might not be able to protect himself, even with Ingrid and Leonie with him! Come on!” 

Dimitri rushed back the direction he came, Dedue right behind him as he skidded to a halt, spotting Seteth and Byleth with most of the other students. 

“Dimitri, there you are.” Byleth chirped, going to him but stopping half way there, squinting. He noticed her nostrils flare as she took a deep breath, the dragoness relaxing as she exhaled. “Dedue, welcome back, my student.”

“DEDUE!” Annette squealed, rushing over to him and tackle hugging him, Mercedes right behind her, the dragonesses squealing their joy as they embraced their friend. Ingrid and Felix were curled up on the ground, Leonie stepping away as her mate stood up to go to them, tears welling up in her eyes as she hugged him to. 

“Dedue…” Dimitri turned to face Felix, the Icewing’s spikes rattling for a moment before he relaxed them. “Glad to know you didn’t croak.” 

“You have a special way of saying you missed me.” Dedue chuckled, Felix snorting and turning his head away. 

“I’m happy you’re all reuniting, truly; but if we don’t start advancing Cornelia will spot and make quick work of us.” Seteth snarled. “I suggest we start moving.”

“Right you are. Dimitri, our orders?” Byleth asked. 

“Meet up with the Knights of Serios and let them know that we’re here in the fray as well, I’ll take Dedue and Felix with me, the rest of you, press on.”

Byleth nodded, twirling around, “Magic users, come with me, everyone else, find the switch controlling the Titanus guarding Cornelia!”

“Yes professor!”

Byleth bolted towards the right, Lysethia, Mercedes, Annette, Dorothea and Linhardt on her trail as Dimitri saw Ingrid take the lead of another group to the left, Seteth joining them alongside his sister, leaving the center plaza, where Catherine’s “whoops” could be heard even from where they stood.

“Get a move on, boar, before Cornelia wises up and tries to escape!” Felix snarled, Dimitri roaring out a battle cry and bounding forward. The smokescreen in front of them slowly dissipated, a warning cry being cut short as two mages bodies were flung into the plaza, some soldiers screaming and running away from their fallen comrades. 

“Get back here you stupid blob of camel spit!” Catherine roared, stopping short in the center of the plaza, panting heavily and covered in blood. None of it looked to be her own. “I’m not done with your sorry asses!”

“Good GODDESS, Catherine,” A Mudwing hybird, Alois (Dimitri could never forget the oddly colored professor, a pale sand color with brown markings, inverse of a regular Mudwing), rushing up behind her, chest heaving. “You’ll be giving these poor dragons GRANDCHILDREN nightmares!”

“Thunder Catherine’s reign of power will be forever immortalized.” Catherine laughed, slapping the older dragon’s back with her wing. “But fine, I’ll let them go, TELL YOUR FRIENDS, YA BASTARDS!”

“Can you be quiet.” Catherine yowled as Shamir materialized between them, slapping them both with her wings. “Our goal was an infiltration, and now every dragon South of Fhirdiad knows we’re here, I wouldn’t be surprised if we let some mages slip out and teleport to the Empire. We’ll be lucky to get out of a fight with that Vestra boy.”

“I can take that twig on any day!” Catherine roared.

“He’ll have crushed your skull in his talons before you could even blink, be realistic.” Shamir spat. 

“Um, ladies, I hate to rain on your lovely little conversation, but it seems we have company.” Alois yelped, having been the first to notice the three students. Dimitri snorted in amusement as the dragonesses looked over, Catherine’s jaw dropping as Shamir gave them all a curt nod. 

“Your Majesty, we apologize for the hellscape of a welcoming committee.” Shamir snorted. “We’ll help clean up once we’re done here.”

“Y-Your Majesty!” Catherine stammered, dipping into a bow, wings spread, before rushing back to her feet. “An honor to be in your presence!”

“Please, relax, I am a soldier like the rest of you for the time being.” Dimitri huffed. “We will have time for news later, now we must fight.”

“Thank the Gods some dragon has sense.” Shamir hissed, the Nightwing-Rainwing curling her tail above her back. “Cornelia is in the central pavillion on the second level of the city. A Titanus is stationed in every direction except her front, which gives her enough time to spot us and shoot us down.”

“I tried. Trust me.” Alois grumbled.

“A lever controls the Titanus magic and physical shield. It seems Byleth already told you however, the shields will go down soon enough.”

“Right. We should be able to take them down easily once they are.”

Shamir nodded. “For now, we need to make sure that no mages slip out and warn the Empire, one already has and we’ve been waiting for that Vestra boy to show up and eradicate us.” Alois shuddered beside her. 

“Oh? Have you not heard- Hubert fights for us now.” Dimitri piped.

“... Excuse me?”

“Edelgard abandoned her lapdog at Gronder, left him for us to kill, which we didn’t.” Felix grunted. “He left with Claude to reclaim the Almyran throne.”

“THE WHAT.” Catherine bellowed. 

“If I may, I don’t think we have the time to be discussing this.” Dedue muttered, ears pressed close to his head as he frowned. “We need to keep Cornelia cornered, lest she escape.”

“Right you are, my friend. Lend us your strength, we need every friendly talon we can get.” Dimitri pleaded. The three dragons nodded without hesitation, Catherine grinning as Shamir sighed.

“ _ Now _ can I go knock some skulls together?” Catherine asked. Her partner’s head frills shifted to a unamused red, but she nodded, Catherine roaring and leaping back into the air with a boom of thunder, flying overhead a Titanus and landing on it with her signature accompaniment of lightning.

“I need to get to that pavilion.” Dimitri growled, Shamir looking up to where she had said Cornelia was. 

“We can’t risk you going anywhere near magic, we must go right.” Shamir didn’t wait for their response racing off, Dimitri quickly on her tail, taking Felix with him on his back. 

“What happened to the Duke?” Shamir asked as he caught up.

“Thoron.” Dimitri and Felix responded at the same time, Felix growling at the King.

“Figures. Nasty work it did-” A soldier cut them off, the Sandwing roaring in fury before Shamir opened her maw and shot a steam of black from her unhinged fangs, the Sandwing not moving away fast enough as his face began to melt in front of them. Shamir shoved him aside with a wing, ignoring the withering mess as they kept moving. 

Dimitri spotted what had to be a Titanus protecting the entrance to the viewing pavilion, the mechanical dragon turning to face them, the heavy blade in its maw glimmering in the midday sun.

“How do we destroy that thing?” Felix snarled. 

“Avoid the tail and sword,” Shamir told them bluntly, “Aim for the horns and legs, they charge up it’s attacks, the weak spot is hidden in the plates on its forehead.”

“Think of something.” Shamir grunted, taking off into the air before roaring and tackling the Titanus’ face, Dimitri and Dedue rushing forward and aiming for its legs, the Crest of Blaiddyd activating as Dimitri crashed into it, the mechanical dragon staggering and collapsing onto the ground. 

“Good job, your Majesty!” Shamir praised, the dragoness stabbing a knife into the now exposed weak spot, the blue glow that flowed through the mech fading away quickly. “I’m sure the others can take care of the last one, let’s keep moving.”

“Next time don’t crash into the mech with me on your back.” Felix hissed, tugging on Dimitri’s horns as he stood back up.

“Apologies, my friend.”

“Shut up and open the damn door.”

Dimitri could hear the scrambling of claws on tile as he neared the wooden door, the dragon rearing up onto his hind legs and ramming into it headfirst, the wood splintering under the weight of the impact.

“Dammit all!” Cornelia hissed, Dimitri snarled as he saw her near the pavilion door, claws already on the latch to escape. The Skywing-Icewing’s ornate feathered neck scarf ruffled and a mess, her spikes rattling in fear.

“Don’t let her get away!” He ordered, Shamir rushing past him as the door opened and spitting her venom onto the witch’s back and wings, the Skywing-Icewing screaming in agony as she stumbled backward and onto the ground. Shamir wasted no time pouncing on the withering mess of a dragon and keeping her down, Dimitri and his friends walking into the mess of a pavilion. 

“Get off of me mutt!” She screamed, thrashing underneath Shamir’s hold, the Knight’s claws digging into her burning flesh, making her screech. “LET ME GO, LET ME GO!”

“Silence.” 

Dimitri sauntered over, Felix having slipped off his back to stand behind him with Dedue. Cornelia visibly gulped as she looked up at him, the dragoness flexing her claws as he snarled. “Y-Your Majesty, how lovely it is to see you again!” She cooed lowly. “You look to be in bad shape, whatever happened to your eye?”

“SILENCE!” Cornelia cowered back as the King’s wings opened. “You will keep your tongue still if you do not wish for me to rip out of your mouth.”

The witch frowned, teeth bared in a silent snarl. Dimitri swore that if looks could kill, he would be dead.

“You are the most vile, most despicable, traitorous, cowardly toad known to dragonkind.” He started, tail lashing behind him. The tension in the air slowly became suffocating, none of his allies wanted to get involved now. “Your crimes against the dragons of the Kingdom, against the Church of Serios, against my people, my subjects, my friends are unforgivable. You deserve nothing less than to be thrown into the Abyss and left to rot with the beasts.”

“Yet you are all bark and no bite, boy.” Cornelia wheezed, Shamir biting her horns and tugging her head back, the witch roaring in agony. “You think I’m only responsible for this? You think this was my first dance with the shadows?”

“Silence.” Dimitri warned, the spikes along his back rising in anger.

“My plan was in motion before we had even met, oh how wonderful it was to watch your mother die, to save your wretched life and gain the King’s respect. He made me an advisor to his court almost right away, remember? You were only a runt then, you adored me for saving you, you even wanted to be a mage, just like me. If only either of you had known I could’ve saved your mother’s life and had chosen to poison her instead!” Cornelia laughed, Dimitri hearing the sharp intake of breath from Felix behind him.

“Dimitri, kill her.” His friend hissed. “Kill her, now!”

“And Duscur, oh, that was my favorite game.” Dimitri and Dedue both snarled, Felix’s spikes rattling in anger. “Your stepmother backed out last minute, wanted to spare you and your father, but we silenced her. No one was going to stop us.”

“Kill her, Goddess dammit!”

“We nearly wiped out an entire race, and entire royal bloodline. We would’ve too, had it not been for the pesky Fraldarius boy. But oh well,” Cornelia smiled, a wicked thing, all teeth, eyes narrowed. “We won’t fail this time. This time, all of Fodlan will be within our control. Whether you live to see it or not.”

Dimitri roared, Shamir stepping away as he closed his jaws around Cornelia’s neck and nearly tore it clean off her body with a violent tug. The metallic smell of blood overwhelmed his nostrils quickly and he spat out the limp body of the witch with a snort.

“Good riddance.” Shamir huffed. “One less traitor in the world.”

\---

The battle was over, now it was time to count the dead.

Dimitri stood outside on the pavilion’s balcony, Dedue and Felix by his side as the dragons of their makeshift army searched for survivors in the wreckage. Fhirdiad was in ashes, but if it’s citizens were one thing, they were hardy. With the right help, they would survive this.

Seteth had reunited with the Knights of Serios and searched everywhere in the city for Rhea only to come up empty taloned, that only left the Empire left to search, and everyone had felt a heavy weight drop in their gut when they realized Edelgard truly did have her captive. Dimitri could only pray she was still alive when they found her.

“The remaining Imperial generals surrendered shortly after announcing Cornelia’s death, there were several noble house leaders amongst them, including the Gray Lion.” Felix reported.

“What should we do with them, your Majesty?” Dedue asked.

“We’ll put them in prison for now, we have more important matters to attend to. We will need to speak to the lords and ladies that surrendered today at a later date as well, what they did will not go unpunished.”

“Understood, I’ll go tell the others.” Felix snorted, heaving himself off his haunches and limping off, wings spread for balance. 

“Are you alright?” Dimitri asked his companion, looking up at him. “After what Cornelia said, I mean. What she said, I cannot imagine what went through your head when you realized she had been the orchestrator of the tragedy.”

“I was always suspicious of her. She was… Too kind to you, if you know what I mean.” He admitted. “I didn’t trust her around you, not in the slightest. But with the little power you had as prince, my Duscur blood, and the fact that your father had appointed her as his advisor, the odds were against me for saying anything.”

“You should’ve told me, my friend.” Dimitri scolded gently. “We could’ve done something.”

Dedue shook his head, sighing. “Everything happens for a reason, Dimitri.” The King tensed, blinking in surprise. “Even if we had said something, I fear that everything that has happened to us up to this point in our lives would’ve still occurred.”

Dimitri sighed, looking up at the sky. Purple tones had begun to bleed into the setting orange and yellows, the two of them coated in a golden light as they watched the sunset. “I missed you dearly, Dedue.” He admitted. “All of us have.”

His friend chuckled, smiling faintly. “I missed you all as well.”

“Your Majesty.”

The two of them turned around to see Rodrigue and Gilbert, the two dragons bowing their heads. “The citizens have all been rounded up, and-”

“We have something to show you. Come with us.”

Dimitri frowned in confusion before padding after them, Dedue right behind him. The two dragons led him up the city’s steps, to an area overlooking the entire lower portion of the city, the one behind them, that had become the dragons safe haven as battle terrorized them.

“Wait, where are we-”

Dimitri shut his mouth when he heard the cheers.

Looking down into the city, he saw hundreds- no,  _ thousands _ \- of dragons cheering as they saw him, his friends among them, at the very front of the crowd, calling his name. 

“W-... What is this?” He choked on his words, he felt tears welling up in his eye as he looked down at his citizens, at the dragons that since he had hatched he had sworn to protect. 

“They are your subjects, your Majesty.” Rodrigue chuckled fondly, “They’ve been waiting for their King.”

“Faerghus has a King again, which means it has a heart once more.”

“I am not worthy of this.” Dimitri sputtered out, tears finally escaping him and rolling down his face. “I have done nothing but wrong the country I swore to defend since this war started, I am not deserving of this kindness, or their loyalty.”

“But you are.” Dimitri turned to see Byleth walk over, a small smile on her face. The frills on the side of her head were yellow, a color he rarely saw on her, even after all this time. “The moment you picked the living over the dead, you picked your country. This is a happy time, Dimitri, you need not cry.” 

He swallowed a sob that threatened to escape him, the dragon laughing as he turned back to face the dragons cheering underneath him. “These are happy tears, my friend.”

The Nightwing hybrid sighed happily, pride making his chest warm. He was home, he was welcomed by those who should hate him for the blood he has spilled and the lives he has ruined, he is alive and breathing and moving forward, the voices of the dead no longer anchoring him to the past. “Faerghus, how I have missed you.”

_ ‘And Claude, my job here is done, I will see you soon, my Beloved.’ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good. G O D. I'm so happy that this is finally done, the last time I updated was in OCTOBER, can you believe that? A lot had happened since I last updated, I finished my first semester of college, went to my first wedding, visited family in Mexico, it was insane. Writers Block finally let me go after so long, and I present to you the first solo Dimitri chapter of Fix Us, I sincerely hoped you enjoy it. I'm happy to be back.


	14. Super Paradise I Held Onto

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Happy birthday Lucina and like 503710258465032 fire emblem games!!

In all honesty, Claude had assumed these trials would be a much bigger deal than they were turning out to be. He had managed to get his claws on many books detailing the trials of ascension when he was just a wee dragonet, dragons fighting tooth and claw for the throne of Almyra only to be killed or tossed in prison to rot away for the remainder of their lives if they failed. Claude had been prepared to lose his tail, maybe even an arm or wing for the throne his father had left him. 

Now, he was sitting in what reminded him of the classrooms in Garreg Mach, Hilda, and Ferdinand by his side. Hilda had taken a seat at one of the tables nearby, running a paw over the wood while Ferdinand looked at the paintings hanging from the walls.

“You know,” Hilda started, letting herself relax, leaning across the table and flexing her talons. “If this is what throne ascension is like in Almyra, maybe I’ll try out the whole becoming queen thing. Like, it looks like they’re testing your history, not your fighting skills, sticking you in a classroom like this.”

“I agree, although Adrestria doesn’t have any traditions akin to this, this doesn’t seem much like a trial at all,” Ferdinand asked, tail lashing.

“Almyra values it’s royalty a lot. Like I said when we first came here, we value strength and the ability to overpower our opponents by any means necessary. We don’t let just anyone rule though, they need to know how to care for the dragons under their wings, need to know which dragons need what assistance. A stupid ruler is about as useful as the scorpions we eat.” Claude huffed, padding over to the podium at the front of the room. “I heard some son of a past king won a duel for the throne but was chased out of the city a week into his rule for making some absolutely idiotic trade deal with Brigid.”

“Yikes, poor guy, hope Brigid got a good laugh out of THAT move though.” Hilda laughed. “What’d he trade? Some exotic gems, some priceless land with ancient ruins, oh, oh, maybe he gave them a prized weapon!” 

“Hm, I don’t remember all too well, I think he ended up letting some top commander get married to one of the Brigid king’s daughters. Almyra nearly went to war to get her back, but they ran off somewhere and were never heard from again. Both countries kept swearing war on each other but I think they both forgot about it.” Claude sat down, using his wing’s dewclaws to scratch behind his horns. “I should ask Petra if she knows anything about that story. She’s related to the princess after all. Like, great, great grand aunt? Who knows.”

“I’ll remind you.”

“No, you won’t.”

“... Yeah, you’re right.”

The three dragons laughed, a knock is heard at the door as they settle down and they all look up, straight as a pole. “Khalid?”

Claude opened his mouth to answer, but the door opened before he could, a Hivewing peering in. She was short, maybe Hilda’s height, with a round belly and a short stubby horn on her forehead. Once she spotted Claude, she lit up, beaming. “Khalid!” 

“Oh, Gods no.”

Claude let out a yelp as the Hivewing barreled into him, pulling him into a tight hug with a coo. “Oh, little Khalid, my sweet little wyrm!” She ran a talon down his fins, stroking them like if he were a chick and making his face feel like it was on fire. Why couldn’t some God strike him down  _ right _ now?

Hilda burst into laughter, Ferdinand hiding a snort behind his wing as the tiny Hivewing practically  _ manhandled _ Claude, bringing her talons around him, picking him up and swinging him from side to side as she cooed soothing words in Almyran. 

“Auntie, Auntie please, I can’t breathe!” She finally let him go, tail still lashing happily behind her. “Where in the Gods name have you  _ been _ ?! You father wouldn’t tell me a thing, Gods know how long I pestered him, his maw was sealed even as he died., what a stubborn dragon he was.” She waved a talon, grabbing his face to inspect it. “Mhm, you certainly have his face, and his horns, what beautiful curves! I wish he had told me Tiana had been his child’s mother, you also look so much like her.”

“Ah, yes, he likely had his reasons.” Claude coughed. “If I’m anything like him, that is.”

She gasped, covering her mouth with her talons. “Oh baby, I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to sound insensitive!” She flapped her short wings frantically. “He was a great dragon! The best brother I could have asked for!” 

“It’s alright Auntie Dia, I know seeing your favorite nephew is very exciting.” Claude chuckled. He yelped as he was smacked with a wing, the dragoness huffing. 

“Far from favorite, I barely know you, maybe you’re as great as a blob of camel spit.” She turned her snout up, pouting. “I don’t know. Maybe I’ll never know.” 

“Claude, who is this lovely dragoness, and who do I have to thank for giving her the ability to smack you.” Hilda giggled. Dia turned to look at her, purring.

“Oh baby, I practically tamed his unruly father when we were chicks, although I must admit, his mother did a rather good job at making that stubborn ass listen to her as well.” Dia chuckled. “I’m Princess Dia, I was the previous king’s younger sister. And this equally as stubborn dragon’s aunt.”

“Princess? Then shouldn’t you be ascending the throne?” Ferdinand asked, eyes wide. “If my understanding of throne politics is correct, shouldn’t any dragons of royal blood be able to take the throne of a country?” 

Dia gasped, ears drawn back in shock. Claude put his paws on his face and dragged them down with a groan. “ _ What have you done? _ ” He whispered, glaring at Ferdinand, who drew back in shock.

“What, what did I say?” Ferdinand squeaked as Dia glared at him.

“Are you from Fodlan?” Dia said with a frown. “You look like a Fodlan Skywing, no meat to your bones.”

“N-No meat? I eat plenty of meat! Only meat!” Ferdinand yelped, Dia circling like, sniffing his wings, pulling a leg towards her and inspecting it. “Ow! Gentle, gentle, I injured that leg years ago!” 

“You smell of Adrestrian,” Dia concluded. “Only certain plants grow there, and you smell of dark magic too, cowards spells.” 

“I-I don’t use magic…” 

“Hubert does.”

Hilda burst into laughter again, yelping as she rolled onto the floor, even Claude snorted out a laugh, Ferdinand looking at them with concern, eyes widening even more. “What, what’s wrong? What did I say?”

“You smell like Hubert!”

“So much so his magic residue is rubbing off on you, how long have you been reunited? Like two weeks? You haven’t seen each other in two days now because we’ve been here, too. What have you been doing, sleeping on top of him?” Claude chuckled.

“CLAUDE!” 

“You’re mates with a dark magic user?” Dia snorted. 

“No! I mean, yes? Maybe? I don’t know! He used to hate my guts!” Ferdinand groaned, slumping to the ground, talons over his eyes as Hilda went over to pat his head, hiccuping from her outburst.

“Fodlaner’s. They’ll mate anything that has the potential to kill them.” Dia rolled her eyes. “To answer your question, no, I cannot take the throne. Only sons and daughters of the oldest born chick of the previous king or queen may challenge for the throne, or ascend it if they are to die childless. My brother only had one son, and that was my sweetie pie, Khalid.” She cooed as Claude leaned back and away from her talons, using his wings to keep his distance. “Even if I could rule, I’m not a leader, the idea of being in charge of a country gives me a migraine.”

“Auntie…”

“Wait, wait, back up. Khalid? Claude, is that how you pronounce your name here?” Hilda said, looking at Claude with confusion, scales shifting to a purple color. “It sounds nice.”

“Khalid is his name, no nephew of mine will use a fake name while in the palace.” Dia huffed. “Much less the one becoming king.”

“Claude is the name my mother gave me,” Claude said. “When she came to Fodlan, she couldn’t keep my actual name. It would raise more suspicion of who my father was and where I was from. My grandfather suggested it, my mother ran with it.”

“Most dragons here don’t seem to mind, but I do! I will refer to you as Khalid and ONLY Khalid.” Dia said, tail lashing angrily behind her.

“Understandable, I don’t think anyone here will mind, regardless,” Claude added with a shrug. Dia looked back at Hilda and Ferdinand, who had since then sat up, Hilda rubbing Ferdinand’s cheeks as he pouted, then back at Claude. “What, do you not like my friends?”

“No, they’re fine, I’ve seen worse dragons come to the palace with my sons and daughters before. It’s just that I never thought I’d see you, honestly.”

“Did father talk about me?” Claude asked. “At all?”

“Rarely, but it was the typical father talk. He raised your cousins as if they were his own, as my mate died in a skirmish on the border a long time ago.” Dia smiled. “You would have had a good life here, your father would’ve done a great job taking care of you.” 

“I doubt it, unfortunately.” Claude shook his head. “Fodlan wasn’t kind to me, I doubt Almyra would have been either, even with father looking out for me. A member of the council yesterday looked ready to tear my throat out.”

“If you see him again today, do let me know, I have a few choice words for that bastard.” Dia snarled. 

“Oh, I doubt he would’ve been any match for you, he looked like the wind would’ve blown him away any second.”

“Ha!”

Another knock was heard at the door, Dia looking over with a snarl. “WHAT?!”

“Lady Dia, the high commander wishes an audience with the king to be Claude.” A muffled voice said from behind the wood.

“Oh, and I can’t be in here with him, is that it?” 

“No, my lady. You must leave.”

Dia snorted but patted Claude’s talon with her own with a smile. “I’ll see you at the celebratory feast later tonight.”

“Ah, yes, of course. See you, Auntie.” She trotted out of the room, snarling at the guard who had come to fetch her as the door closed. 

“She was nice, I liked her.” Hilda cooed, patting Ferdinand’s cheeks one last time as she left. “She would have been a fun aunt to have around.”

“I’m glad you think so, mother said Aunt Dia was the nicest of the royals I would meet if I ever did.” Claude looked down at his talons. “I’m worried about how the others will be.”

“You’ll do fine,” Ferdinand grumbled, rubbing his jaw. “I’ve heard the stories of what you’ve said and done in council meetings in the Alliance.”

“Ah, my reputation precedes me! Who told you? Was it Lorenz, I bet it was Lorenz-”

The door swung open without notice, Claude sitting up straight as a guard padded in, “Prince Claude, the high commander of the Almyran Council wishes to have an audience with you,” She bowed, “Is this acceptable?”

“Yes, please tell her I am ready to see her.”

“Right away.” The guard hurried out of the room, and Claude soon saw the high commander saunter in, squeezing through the door and walking in. “Prince Claude, good morning. Did you and your friends sleep well?” 

“Yes, thank you, high commander.”

“Oh, please, you may call me Lady Ashti.” The Hivewing cooed, head bowed. “Before we begin your first trial, let me give you a brief introduction and explanation of who I am and what we will be doing.”

“Alright.” Claude shifted, wings twitching. 

“As I said before, I am Lady Ashti, as you may know, I am referred to as the high commander. I was once one of the best war commanders in Almyra, I have fought many battles, and what few I have lost had done nothing to stop me from continuing to fight.” She rumbled, and Claude had no doubts. She was absolutely massive, maybe even bigger than Seteth, and Seteth was HUGE. She was a pitch-black color, with thin golden stripes between her scale plates and on her stinger sheath, making it look like it was dipped in gold. “However, I am no longer in my prime, I cannot fight as I used to. I retired to the council and now help with war decisions from a roundtable instead of a battle tent.” 

“My mother told stories of you, mainly in fairy tales instead of anything I could understand as fact.” Claude chuckled. “It’s an honor.”

“I’m flattered myself.” She laughed lowly, “Now, about your trials.”

“Ah, the best part, if you ask me.” 

“Impatient, just like your father.” Ashti joked. “Your trials are split into three different tests. One will be history-”

“Oh, you were right, Hilda!” Ferdinand chirped, Hilda smirking.

“An identification test of cultural norms, and a strength test.” Ashti finished, “The scores you get on these will not affect your ability to ascend the throne. You are the true son of your late father and the  _ only _ son of your father. This is simply to help the advisors when you take on your duties after the war in Fodlan is taken care of.”

“Question, Lady Ashti.” Ferdinand raised a wing, Ashti looking over. 

“Yes?”

“I don’t mean to seem naive but, aren’t Fodlan and Almyra mortal enemies? I’ve heard of the many skirmishes at Fodlan’s Throat, and I know that House Gonriel has had a rough history with you all, as well. Why allow Claude to return to Fodlan and stop a war when he could help you take Fodlan’s Throat?”

“Ah, you aren’t from the north, are you?”

“Ah, no, I’m from Adrestia, I’m the only survivor of the now dismantled House Aegir.” Ferdinand said. “I’ve had no first-hand experiences with skirmishes in Alliance or Holy Kingdom territory. Only word of mouth and text mouths.”

“I understand. Well, you see, Almyra is a proud country, our dragons get antsy without a good fight so much so they go looking for it. Our neighbors at Fodlan’s Throat know this, so much so that my commanders tell me that General Holst has become their drinking buddy. He’s an incredible fighter, many of my dragons speak well of his prowess on the field.”

“Wait, so all those letters my brother has sent me are true?!” Hilda yelped.

“Ah, are you the Hilda they mention so frequently?” Ashti chirped. “Your brother is an amazing fighter, my dragons always go back for more, of the fighting and of the food they serve at feasts.” 

“I always thought he was joking! He ate a bad mushroom once when he was stuffing his face.”

“Ah, my grandson was present during that feast, yes.” Ashti laughed. Claude vaguely remembered that mission during their time at the academy, Hilda had gotten a letter from Holst that he had gotten food poisoning (how when Rainwings are just as bad as Nightwings when it came to eating the most rotten things Claude would never understand) and wasn’t able to defend the border, and they had fought with Almyrans briefly before they all retreated. “I hope he’s well now.”

“He’s fighting in the war for us, so I hope so too.” Claude purred.

Ashti chuckled, then shifting her wings against her body, the Hivewing’s flicking her tail. “Now, before we lose any more daylight, let us begin. The history trial is a written test, covering major aspects of Almyran history, royalty, battles, important politicians, and more. I have confidence you will do well.” She looked over at Hilda and Ferdinand. “Unfortunately, neither of you can be present while he takes it, I will guide you to the library where you may relax until he’s finished.”

“Do you have tea, coffee maybe, even?” Ferdinand asked as he was led out.

“Goddess above, you really are Hubert’s mate.” Hilda snorted.

“Ah, wait, Lady Ashti! Where’s the test?” Claude yelped.

“I’m sure you can find it, Prince Claude, you have an eye for these things from what I’ve heard.” She purred, the door closing behind her. Claude was now alone, and without a clue to where it was.

“No, no, she left me a clue, I’m sure.” Claude turned around, looking around the room. The room was void of books, a banner with the royal sigil the only thing hanging from the ceiling. Did they hide it on the roof?

Claude shot up, flying up to where it hung and looking around carefully, no bricks seemed to have been moved, no cracks were in the wall and the banner had no stitches or threads that looked out of the ordinary. He snorted, flying back down and looking around the room. The only other things in the room were the podium, tables and paintings. He doubted the high commander would’ve hid it in the candles hanging from the walls.

“An eye for these kinds of things…” Claude looked around and then spotted it, a painting in the room, the only one with its eyes open in fact. “Bingo, there you are.” He went to it, finding that the eye itself was hollow, and when he tore a small hole in it a paper came sliding out, a pencil falling to the floor as well.

“Clever clue, Lady Ashti, but I’ve uncovered bigger secrets than this.”

\---

“Done!” Claude pushed into the library the guard outside his room had led him to, inside Hilda and Ferdinand are drinking tea, Ashti talking to them about some war story Claude vaguely remembers his mother having told him as a dragonet. “Gods, you could have warned me that this would be incredibly long.”

“Ah, so you did find it! Good job.” Ashti praised. “The advisors will retrieve it from me later, for now, we should head to the identification trial, as it’ll only take a few minutes. After that is the combat trial, and then the feast.”

“This feast, is it something we must attend?” Ferdinand asked.

“Yes, it’s a celebration of our new king, so he may be blessed by the moon goddess. Afterwards, you are all free to go, we will give you and your companions the supplies you need for your journey back.” Ashti led the way out of the library and down a hall, towards a stairwell then seemed to lead to some training grounds. “Lady Daphnel told me you had more companions waiting for you in the city, right?”

“Yeah, four other dragons. They travelled with us.”  
“Do be sure to bring them along, the more the merrier!” Ashti laughed as they arrived at the training grounds. “Now, for the second trial.”

Ashti unfurled her wings, the golden speckles underneath them letting small spots of sunlight shine onto her shadows. “Trial two. I have hid seven baskets in the training grounds, all containing fruits and meats native to Almyra. I need you to find the three I will name to you shortly.”

“Ah, sounds easy enough.” Claude huffed.

“Hm, I thought you would say that.” Ashti cooed. “So I made this slightly harder. Each individual item is wrapped in a cloth with a historical battallion’s insignia, you must not only bring me the correct item, but the one with the correct insignia as well.”

“Oh, a challenge, you know me well.”  
“I could give you a time limit as well.” She grinned.

“Deal.”

“Claude, were it not for the rules in place during these trials I would be strangling you!”

“I’m taken!”  
“CLAUDE!”

“Let us begin.”

\---

“He’s so fucking stupid.” Hilda groaned from the balcony she and Ferdinand were watching from, the Rainwing running her talons down her face in frustration. “Such a show off, how can Dimitri love him.”

“Dimitri’s a very kind dragon, and Claude has many redeeming qualities.” Ferdinand argued.

“Okay, so are you saying that if you had the opportunity, you would date Claude.”

“What?! No! He’s not my type at all!” 

“Are you sure, I remember your baby crush on Sylvain back in the academy, and you DO know that Hubert, Sylvain and Claude all had like, Sunday tea-times together right?” Hilda waved a talon around. “They would skip prayer to play chess and gossip. Probably about poisons. Or assassinating people. One or the other, there’s only a talonful of things those three could have gotten up to.”

“Please, Hilda…”

“Although maybe they just bullied Claude a lot, since he was so short.” She snorted. “And young, weren’t Hubert and Sylvain both the same age? Claude turned 18 while we were still students!”

“Hilda…”

“Oh, look! Claude has a whole pile of things now!” The Rainwing squealed, nudging his shoulder with a talon.

“To answer your question, no, I wouldn’t date Claude.” Ferdinand started, “I don’t really like such… Loud dragons.” 

“Like Caspar.”

“Mhm. Or you.” Hilda whirled around, wings unfurling quickly.

“OI!”

“Ack, I’m sorry, I’m sorry!”

“Time!” 

Hilda peered over, Claude was standing in front of Ashti, the gigantic Hivewing had a pile of items at her feet, with cloths of varying colors tied to them. Claude was wiping his brow with an arm, folding his wings back into his body. “Almost full points, I’m quite impressed Prince Claude!”

“Mhm, it was a good challenge.” Hilda saw him flex his claws, tail curling behind him. “Thank you for not underestimating my skills.”

“Oh, I have learned a lot from the battlefield. The last thing I would do is underestimate an opponent as cunning as you. Now then, I hope this next challenge is to your liking as well.”

“The combat trial? Well, yes, I hope so!” Claude purred.

“Wonderful, then prepare yourself.” Ashti then got into a stance, Hilda unconsciously digging her claws into the Skywing beside hers shoulder as Claude took a quick step back, now fully alert. “Because your last trial will be a fight with me.”

\---

Claude quickly shot into the air as Ashti’s jaws closed around the spot he had been once standing in, Ashti whirling around and glaring at him. Claude’s eyes darted to her tail, the stinger at the end poking out of its sheath. “You move quickly! It must be a great aid in battle.”

“I like having an upper hand when I’m fighting! Your stinger’s poison won’t kill me, but I’d prefer to not feel numb as hell while fighting you!” He avoided another snap of her jaws, diving down between her legs and grabbing her tail in his jaws, claws reaching into his scarf and pulling out a vial. Ashti snarled, bucking back and nearly managing to hit his chest with her hind legs as he backed away, tail still in his grasp. Claude’s fought large dragons before, Dimitri’s huge, he remembers getting his ass absolutely beat by Dedue in the academy when they were younger, and Raphael is just as massive as the two of them combined, Mudwing genetics be damned. They typically all had one thing in common, they were slow to move, and their tails were usually the most vulnerable in combat. Nothing was different here with Ashti, just that she happened to have an added weakness he could exploit. 

“Going for my stinger, smart dragon!” Ashti praised, looking back at him from over her shoulder, “What will you do, if you let go you’ll get stung, but hang on and I  _ will _ eventually kick you off.” 

_ ‘That’s why I’ve got this.’ _ Claude smirked, pride swelled in his chest as he popped off the stopper and poured the liquid on her stinger, the dragoness roaring as she trashed, finally throwing Claude off and into a wall.

“Claude!”

“I-I’m fine!” Claude wheezed out, looking over to Ashti, who was twirling in circles trying to figure out what the  _ hell _ he put on her tail.

“I knew I would be fighting a Hivewing or two once I arrived here, so I had Judith and Nader help me make a temporary nullifier of your toxins. I have an hour before your poison will have any effect on me.” Claude struggled up, wincing as pain shot through his left wing. “It’ll only hurt for a bit, it won’t cause any long lasting damage, I’m not cruel,”

Ashti snarled, her wings unfurling as she curled her tail away from her body. “You risk being severely disadvantaged to gain the upper hand in battle? You are daring, I will give you that. Are you like this with your troops as well, flinging them aside like pawns on a chessboard?”

“No. My dragons know their orders, retreating makes them no less worthy in my eyes. It’s their choice if they continue to fight with me, even at the cost of their life.” Claude snarled. “A dragon’s life is worth no less than my own, I wouldn’t throw my life away and I wouldn’t ask that of any of them either.”

Ashti narrowed her eyes, shifting her stance to put more weight on her upper body. Claude stood his ground and maintained eye contact. Finally the Hivewing made a move, lunging at him with outstretched claws and a roar.

“Claude watch out!” Hilda yelped.

Claude narrowly dodged her attack, climbing onto her back and grabbing her by the horns, the Hivewing roaring in protest. Claude yelped as she started to swing her head back and forth, Hilda whooping from the balcony as she and Ferdinand watched excitedly.

“Get her Claude, you can do it!” Hilda roared.

“You can win this!” Ferdinand added.

Gods he hoped.

“Gotcha.” Claude yelped as Ashti took to the air, Claude struggling to hold onto her horns as she beat her wings, powerful gusts of wind threatening to pry him off. “I maybe old, young Prince, but I am not weak! This dragoness can still fly!”

_ ‘Shit!’ _ The Sandwing hybrid snarled as he struggled to hold on to her horns. The dragoness reached a talon up, nearly grabbing him from her head. “Give up, a fall from here will not feel good in the morning!”

“I’m no quitter!” Claude hissed, he launched himself off her head, Ashti roaring and diving after him. He scrambled for purchase on a wall, only to let go once Ashti was within range, the Hivewing crashing headfirst into the stone. Claude was about to let out a laugh of triumph when the Hivewing fell to the ground right on top of him.

“Claude!” 

The Sandwing-Hivewing grunted underneath Ashti, managing to squirm out from under her just barely, the high commander groaning in pain as Hilda and Ferdinand came racing down from the balcony. “Are you okay, is anything broken?”

“I’ve been crushed by heavier dragons, I’m fine.” Claude wheezed.

“Your wing is swollen…” Ferdinand said, using his tail to point at it. Claude looked over at it, and oh, yeah, it was. That was going to hurt in the morning.

“So it is. I’ll get it looked at…” 

“But hey, at least you won!”  
“Ah, about that.” Claude chuckled. “I actually lost.”

“... Say what now.”

“Almyran sparring customs say that whoever is pinned first loses, and although I did cause Lady Ashti to crash into the wall, I didn’t move out of the way in time and she technically pinned me-”

“More like crushed you…” Hilda grumbled.

“-And she won. Sucks, but I made a mistake and I’ll own up to it.” Claude did a weird, one shoulder shrug. “It was fun regardless, I haven’t fought any Hivewings besides Judith and Nader, so it was a nice way of changing things up.”

“I am glad you enjoyed it.”

Claude turned around to see Ashti struggling up, the dragoness huffing as she managed to sit up. She didn’t look too badly hurt, but she was sure to be bruised until next week if not more. “You were a worthy opponent, most dragons who fight me just charge head on, it was nice to see someone use their head for once instead of their claws.”

“High praise, thank you.”

“Your trials are now over, you are officially next in line for the throne.” Ashti folded her wings into her body, wincing slightly. “A coronation will not take place until you come back from the war in Fodlan, I doubt anyone will even bring up replacing you.”

“So wait, the feast isn’t to crown him?” Hilda asked.

“Oh no, simply to celebrate, it’s why I suggested bringing your company, I’m sure they would enjoy the break from the fighting.”

“You know, yeah. I think they would.”

\---

“I hate this.”

It was now night time, the palace gardens lit with lanterns and fireflies as dragons bustled around; Claude spotted dragons dancing and singing, a few stuffing their faces, Sylvain included as Ashe tried to pry him away from some seasoned crocodile on one of the tables.

“Sylvain! Come on, leave some for the rest of us, I wanna try it too!”

“Nope, your mate can cook, mine can’t, I’m eating as much as I can now.”  
“Sylvain!!!”

Claude chuckled as he watched from the table the rest of his group was at, Hilda was telling Marianne about everything that had happened, including a ridiculous retelling of how he lost to Ashti. Ferdinand was enjoying the food, while Hubert sat next to him looking absolutely miserable, and Claude would have believed it too were his tail not twined with Ferdinand’s beneath them.

“Are all feasts like this? I could get used to this much festivity!” Ferdinand chuckled.

“Yeah, much better than the feasts Garreg Mach held, for sure.”

“Much better than the ones in Enbarr, if Edelgard and I could agree at one thing, it would be how boring they were.” He was wearing the robes of his dancer outfit, jingling disks clanking against each other. “I remember we snuck out of one once and my mother had come to fetch us because  _ someone _ snitched.” 

Hubert snorted beside him, picking at his food with a fork. “You had obligations.”

“So did you!”  
“I was Edelgard’s retainer.”

“Sure, sure, as if that’s an excuse to not have fun.” Ferdinand stood up, stretching his legs as he turned to look at the Nightwing beside him. “I’m going to go find where Sylvain and Ashe wandered off to, Ashe has a better palate than you, so he’ll know where the delicious food is. I’ll be right back.” The Skywing wandered off, the air at the table still tense.

“Hmph.”

“Was- Was that a fight? Did you and Ferdie just fight?” Hilda asked in awe.

“Ferdie?” Hubert huffed, quirking an eyebrow.

“We bonded a lot while we were watching Claude get beat up by an old lady. Of course I came up with a nickname for your mate.” Hilda snorted, a talon to her chest as Marianne giggled beside her. “What were you doing, plotting ways to kill Sylvain?”

“I beat him at chess a dozen times over.” Hubert grumbled, rolling his eyes.

“You’re avoiding the question.” Hilda cooed.

“I don’t have to answer it.” He growled, his head spines bristling.  
Hilda pouted, Claude rolling his eyes. “Come on Bert, what just happened there?”

“Nothing important.” Hubert snarled, turning back to his plate. “Drop it.”

“Bert…”

“Enough. Our private life is none of your concern. Leave me alone.” The Nigthwing bared his fangs, standing up and storming off. Silence shrouded the table as Sylvain came back with a plate full of food, the Seawing hybrid looking at everyone still there in confusion.

“So… What happened… Why is everyone quiet?”

“We think Hubert and Ferdinand are fighting.” Claude muttered. “Did anything happen while Hilda, Ferdinand and I were in the palace?”

“Mhm, not really. We sent those letters you told us to send to Fhridiad and Deidru. We haven’t gotten anything back, Marianne taught us how to weave flower crowns, and we each sort of did whatever besides that.” Sylvain sat down. “Hubert and I played chess.”

“And you lost a lot apparently.”

“He swore he wouldn’t tell anyone!” Sylvain groaned as he set his plate down on the table. “Ughhh…”

“Hubert will say anything that benefits him.” Claude sighed. “But he typically doesn’t lie either. Hehe…”

“I owe him 50 gold because of those games!” Sylvain whined, “Now how am I supposed to afford a ring for Felix…”

“I’m king now, we’ll dip into the royal treasury before we go, they won’t miss anything.”

“Really?!”

“Of course not, I’ll just lend you the gold.”

“Aww, Claude likes me.” The Seawing hybrid purred, taking a bite out of some meat he had.

“Only because you’re an idiot.”

“Hey!”

“Okay, no, really. Why are they fighting?” Hilda hissed, head frills turning red. “Did they, like, break up? Were they even dating to begin with? Is Hubert bad in bed?”

Claude snorted water through his nose, going into a mix of a coughing and laughing fit as he tried to catch his breath. “Hilda, by the love of the Gods you can’t just say that, you’re going to kill me.”

“Don’t die, Dimitri will murder me.”

“Maybe something Edelgard related, I think Hubert hasn’t processed the fact she left him to die at Gronder.” Sylvain pointed out. “Like, I would be fucked up if Dimitri did that to me, and we aren’t as close as Hubert and Edelgard were, I think.”

“Honestly, you may be onto something. Didn’t they nearly kill each other at the Battle for Garreg Mach too?”  
“Oh yeah, I remember. Dorothea told me Ferdie nearly lost his leg because of the infection, he still limps a bit, too.” Hilda pondered. “Maybe they _are_ fighting about something Edelgard related, wow.”

Claude rested his chin in his paw, elbow against the table. He, Sylvain and Hubert had been… Close, he guessed; they hung out every Sunday during prayer because religion sucked anyway, Hubert hated it, Sylvain didn’t really believe in any higher power apparently and Claude had  _ other _ gods. Despite all that though, Claude feels like he barely knows Hubert, he got some info here and there (mostly from professor and from Black Eagles who transfered into her class) but maybe besides some of the  _ fucked up _ trauma Hubert and his older sisters went through, he didn’t have any dirt on him. 

Ferdinand on the other hand was an open book, father didn’t pay attention to him, sweet mother ended up dying during the Aeigr coup when Edelgard had stripped him of his title as duke, he adored his friends and despite everything he had ever said and done during their time in the academy he really did care about the people under his care. Claude admired him for being so pure hearted despite everything that’s happened to him. Another thing he knew is that Ferdinand didn't have an evil bone in his body, because if he did, he would’ve sided with Edelgard the moment she left Garreg Mach. Maybe in another universe he had.

Hubert would die for Ferdinand. Ferdinand would die for Hubert, so what was-

“Hey, leave me alone!”

Claude’s head shot up at the sound of Ferdinand screaming. He spotted the orange Skywing flaring his wings as wide as they’d go, a large Hivewing, nearly as big as Ashti, in front of Ferdinand. Even from here he looked like an absolute ass, a smug smirk on his face, and his tail lashing behind him.

“Come on handsome, just one dance, I promise I won’t bite.” Claude had raced to his feet, Hilda beside him, hissing lowly as her mouth began to open.

“I said no. Several times, leave me alone, I don’t want to hurt you.” Ferdinand whimpered, taking a step back.

“You? Hurt me? Ha! Don’t make me laugh. Come on, the band is going to play my favorite song next.”

Ferdinand was about to protest again, and Claude and Hilda were both ready to make this bastard run away either with his tail between his legs or whatever was left of it. Depends on who got to him first. Where was Hubert when you needed someone intimidating?!

The Hivewing reached over to Ferdinand, but something shoved him away.

Speak of the devil.

Hubert put himself between Ferdinand and the Hivewing, snarling up at the larger dragon, wings blocking the Hivewing’s view of Ferdinand. “Hey, what gives-”

“Leave.”

“Excuse me?” The Hivewing snapped.  
“Are you daft?” Hubert snarled, tail curling behind him, “Leave.”

“What gives you the right to get between me and my dancing partner.” The Hivewing snarled above him, narrowing his eyes as he flexed his claws. “I’ll have you know I’m-”

“Don’t care. I’m his mate, leave before I quit asking nicely. You’re incredibly annoying.” Hubert huffed, tail lashing.

“Oh, you’re picking a fight with me now, is that it?!” The Hivewing roared, unfurling his wings. Claude looked around the three dragons, noticing a crowd start to form around them, whispering to each other as they watched the two dragons growl at each other. This was not going to be good. 

“Sylvain, take Marianne and find Ashe and Judith. We might be needing to make an escape to our rooms. Or out of the country.” He muttered that last part under his breath, Sylvain and Marianne nodding as they hurried off.

“Claude, what are we going to do?” Hilda hissed. “That dragon could shake Hubert like a ragdoll, maybe tear him apart like one too…”

“Break this fight apart if things get ugly.” He turned back to see the Hivewing circling Hubert and Ferdinand now, Hubert glaring at him as Ferdinand cowered behind him. “If they just try to intimidate each other we might be fine…”

“If you want a fight, you’ll get one.” The Hivewing snarled, “You reek of magic too, oh, so scary! What are you going to do, blast me?” He snapped his jaws close to Ferdinand’s tail, the Skywing yelping as Hubert bared his fangs. 

“All bark and no bite, I should take you down a few notches.” He grinned.

“And you should take better care of your blindspots.”

“What did you say-”

Claude didn’t have time to blink as Hubert lunged at the Hivewing, latching onto his snout with a snap of his jaws, the Hivewing screaming in terror as party goers gasped. 

“Tiny lizard has spunk!”

“Yeah! Get ‘im!”

Gods, now Claude was really glad he had never gotten bit by a Nightwing before, because Hubert had a  _ vice grip _ on this poor Hivewing’s snout as he trashed about and flapped his wings. Hubert had grabbed a hold of the horn between his eyes, the Hivewing trying to snap at his underbelly but Hubert was so gods damned skinny he couldn’t even graze the scales with his beak.

“Let me go, you animal!”

That’s when Claude heard the crack.

The Hivewing must’ve heard it too because he started struggling even more frantically now, roaring and trying to grab Hubert by his tail now instead. Another crack, and finally Hubert went flying, the Hivewing screaming in agony.

Hubert landed nearby, Ferdinand rushing to his side and helping him up, the Nightwing spitting out the now broken horn of the Hivewing; who looked too shocked to even say anything. Claude was maybe just as shocked, Hilda muttering a quiet  _ gross _ from his side.

“I had told you to leave.” Hubert growled, the Hivewing fainting with a groan, what looked like to be his buddies rushing over to him in worry.

Ferdinand quickly ushered Hubert away, Claude and Hilda rushing after them, ignoring their table and their food as the mates left the commotion behind them.

“Hey, Hubert,  _ what the hell was that? _ ” Claude yelped as they left the gardens, spotting the other members of their group waiting for them by their assigned room, anxious and just as confused.

“Why the hell are you asking me?”  
“You just tore off that Hivewing’s horn.”

“Yes, I know.” Hubert huffed, Claude looking at him like he had just sprouted a second head.

“You RUINED his life, Hivewings value those horns over their lives!” Claude yelped. “It’s like taking religion from a holy dragon, they’re just empty.”

“He shouldn’t have tried to seduce Ferdinand, then.”

“It wasn’t really working…” Ferdinand muttered.

“Not helping.”

“Boy!”

“Oh what now?”

Judith waited for them to make it to the room, the dragoness looked distressed. This had to be bad news.

“Alright, what happened, lay it on me.”

“Boy, be serious, gods dammit!” Judith snarled. “We need to leave, now.”

“What? Why? Ashti was going to give us supplies for our journey come sunrise.”

“We don’t have that luxury boy!” Judith roared, tail lashing. “We received a letter from Diedru.”

Claude blinked in surprise, ears drawn back against his head. “Isn’t that a good thing?”

“It would be had what they wrote been good news.” Judith hissed. “The Empire is marching towards Diedru. We have two, maybe three days before they lay siege on the city and capture Alliance territory for good.”

“What!?”

“Spies figured it out, Edelgard must’ve heard you weren’t in the Alliance. She probably thought you were in Fhirdiad helping Dimitri.”

“Gods above.”

Judith motioned for their shared room. “Everyone get your belongings, we’re leaving, NOW!”

“Probably for the better, Hubert tore off a Hivewing’s horn.” Hilda whistled as she hurried inside.

“The rat did what?!” Judith roared.

“No time! We need to write another letter to Dimitri, and now! We need him to meet us in Diedru!”  
“What?! We haven’t heard word back from him, for all we know they didn’t recapture the city at all!” Judith argued.

“I have to take that risk, we don’t have enough dragons to stop an attack from the Empire.” Claude hissed. “He has to get this letter.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> //RISES FROM THE GRAVE// I LIVEEEEE
> 
> Good fucking god this took so long to get out, I had to make a whole ass OC for this, thank the lord the DLC revealed a name for Claude's auntie (Claudia, but Dia in this fic!)
> 
> Thank you so much for sticking with me guys, leave your comments because I reply to every single one I am lonely and crave affection in all its forms ;;
> 
> Stay safe, wash your hands, see you hopefully NOT in three months!


End file.
